


Level Zero

by SebasuchansKitten



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-16 15:35:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1352728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SebasuchansKitten/pseuds/SebasuchansKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ciel's addicted to an online game, Niveau Zéro, where a player can win a large cash prize if they're able to get to Level Zero. The money is the least of his worries when he must choose between his online affair and something real.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"Ciel, why don't we stop for ice cream?"

"I'm not a kid anymore, Mom," Ciel snapped, his moody attitude startling the couple.

"We know you're not a kid anymore," Vincent said, slyly glancing at a nervous Rachel. "It's your fifteenth birthday today, after all."

Ciel frowned and continued walking down the sidewalks that were flooded with people, his anxious parents cautiously following behind.

"Then where are we going, Dear?" Rachel questioned as they politely slinked past pedestrians.

"I already told you," Ciel shook his head in frustration. "I need a new ribbon. Your stupid cat destroyed my last one."

Rachel blushed and stepped out of the conversation, allowing Vincent to speak up.

"It wasn't Priscilla's fault. She's still a kitten and you know that kittens love ribbons and strings. Besides, Ciel, why do you wear ribbons around your neck? You're fifteen now. I think a tie would be suitable."

"Aunt Angelina said that it doesn't matter if what I wear looks unsuitable," Ciel scoffed. "She told me that as long as I'm comfortable in what I wear it doesn't matter whether it looks professional or not."

The parents sighed and shut up, knowing they wouldn't win the argument since Angelina's name had been brought up.

Ever since Ciel was a child, Rachel's sister, Angelina, spent numerous afternoons babysitting and playing with the boy. Ciel never lived in poverty, but his aunt was certainly wealthier than his parents, and for that reason Ciel was spoiled with things his parents would never be able to afford.

Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive never approved of Angelina's doings, saying that their son needed to learn the importance of money and realize that he wouldn't be able to get everything he wanted in life.

"Nonsense," Angelina dismissed, waving her hand casually. "If I'm able to spoil my darling nephew I might as well do it, surely the boy deserves all the finer things in life."

For years Vincent and Rachel tried to prevent Ciel from transforming into an arrogant snob, but considering the fact that they worked long hours and Angelina was the only one available for a babysitter, the two didn't have a choice.

The boy was practically raised by his aunt, only able to see his parents in the evenings after they returned from work. In the meantime, Ciel was inundated with gifts, his wildest desires all given to him without an objection thanks to his rich, wonderful aunt.

Ciel was planning on wearing the outfit Aunt Angelina had bought specifically for his birthday, a dark blue suit that matched his eyes, made only of the finest silk and personally fitted to Ciel's liking. All he needed was a ribbon he could wear around his neck and the outfit would be complete.

"Priscilla destroyed the navy blue one," Ciel mused to himself, scanning the different colors of silk.

"However, this black would definitely make the suit stand out," he added, gently rubbing his fingers over the dark fabric.

"Ciel, this is some of the finest silk I've ever seen," Vincent exclaimed. "We can't afford this."

"Aunt Angelina bought me these specifically for my neck," Ciel started, elegantly taking a piece of silk and gracefully tying it into a ribbon around his collar. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your stupid cat destroying my other ribbon."

"Ciel, I'm sorry!" Rachel shrieked, small tears welling up in her eyes. "She didn't mean to do it!"

"Whether she meant to or not, an apology won't restore my ribbon."

"Ciel, it's either your ribbon or our dinner. I cannot afford to supply both," Vincent stated, silently pleading with his displeased son.

"Starve for all I care," Ciel barked, waving the ribbon around tauntingly. "Maybe you should put that damned animal on a leash next time."

"Watch your mouth!" Rachel warned, a tiny tear slipping down her cheek.

"I'm fifteen now, remember?" Ciel said haughtily, turning his back to his parents. "I am only saying what is _suitable."_

* * *

 

Ciel paced in the living room excitedly, waiting for his family to show up. He wasn't happy about having to see his two stupid cousins, Elizabeth and Edward, nor his Aunt Frances nor his Uncle Alexis; what he was _really_ looking forward to was seeing his Aunt Angelina and receiving the special gift she had promised him.

"I'm going to be fifteen tomorrow!" Ciel had said happily, hugging his aunt around the waist. The woman chuckled and ruffled Ciel's hair, making the slate bangs drape over his eyes.

"I know. You're growing up too fast."

"Aunt Angelina, what are you going to get me for my birthday?" Ciel was beaming with excitement while the red-haired woman continued to laugh.

"I have a very," she tapped his nose, eliciting a giggle from her nephew, "special surprise for you."

"Is it a dog?" Ciel jumped up and down, hoping his aunt would say yes.

"No, no, it's not a dog," Angelina confessed, and Ciel frowned.

"But I want a dog so bad!"

"I can't buy you a dog because your parents have Priscilla," his aunt reminded.

"Priscilla," Ciel growled the name. "That stupid cat. All she does is tear up my stuff. Please buy me a dog, Aunt Angelina! One that will eat the cat so she won't touch my stuff anymore!"

Ciel's aunt ran her fingers through his hair again, now smoothing out the ruffled tresses.

"Your surprise is better than a dog, I promise."

"Really?" Ciel asked, his eyes growing as big as saucers. Angelina chortled and nodded.

"Oh yes."

"Did you get me _two_ dogs?"

"I can't tell you what it is, silly," his aunt said, tickling the boy until he couldn't breathe. "We don't want to ruin the surprise."

Ciel hadn't been able to get his mind off of the surprise his aunt had mentioned yesterday, and he was eagerly waiting for the moment when his aunt would lift him up in a loving hug and present him with the mysterious gift.

The boy continued to pace around anxiously while his father hung up streamers in the kitchen.

"When's Mom coming back?" Ciel questioned, stealing a glance at the clock.

"She left about ten minutes ago to get your ice cream," Vincent replied, taping up a loose piece crepe paper. "I'm sure the grocery store isn't that busy."

Almost on cue, the door opened, and Ciel turned to see his mother walk in along with Aunt Frances, Uncle Alexis and their two children.

"Where's Aunt Angelina?" Ciel asked enthusiastically, standing on his tiptoes in attempt to see over their heads.

"Rachel, what's wrong?" Vincent asked, walking over to his wife in concern. That was when Ciel saw tears in all of their eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Ciel," Elizabeth sniffled, extending her arms out in a hug. Ciel slapped her arms away and furrowed his brows.

"Where's Aunt Angelina?"

"Ciel, I'm sorry," Rachel spoke shakily, dabbing tears away from her eyes with a tissue. "Your aunt has been in an accident."

"What?" Ciel screamed, his eyes open wide in horror.

"She was hit by an oncoming car and she didn't have enough time to swerve away."

"I… I don't get it…" Ciel stuttered.

"Don't you get it, you little twit?! Aunt Angelina's _dead!"_ His cousin shouted furiously.

"Edward! Go out in the car!" Uncle Alexis boomed, pointing his finger toward the door. The boy waddled outside, his father following behind with a lecture ready.

Ciel was still in a daze, his head clouded with numbed thoughts.

_Aunt Angelina's dead? She isn't coming back? I won't get a special surprise from her? I won't get anymore hugs? No more 'I love you's? No more gifts? She's gone?_

"Ciel-" Rachel started, but the boy snapped out of his confused state, his emotionless features twisting into a look of pure hatred.

"There will be no birthday party today."

"But, Ciel-" Elizabeth begged.

"NO! GET OUT! EVERYONE! I DON'T WANT TO CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Ciel sprinted up the stairs, leaving the rest of his family in the living room while he locked himself in his bedroom and cried.

* * *

 

_Knock knock._

"Ciel?"

"Go away," Ciel cried, wiping the flood of tears away from his eyes.

"Ciel, please. You've been in your room for four hours now. Everyone's gone. Please open up."

"Leave me alone. I don't ever want to talk to anyone ever again."

"Ciel, it's me. Please let me in."

The boy sniffled and reluctantly got out of bed. He unhurriedly opened the door until he saw the full figure of his father, staring down at him sympathetically.

 _Don't look at me like that,_ Ciel screamed in his head. _I don't need your pity._

"Ciel, may I come in?" He questioned, and Ciel shrugged before returned to his bed, burrowing under the covers.

"I have something for you," his father stated, slowly sitting down on Ciel's bed.

"Whatever it is, I don't want it. I'm not celebrating my birthday anymore."

"I think you'll like it, though. Go on," Vincent set the bag down in front of the pile of covers. Eventually, Ciel bobbed his head out from the blankets, eyeing the present inquisitively. Vincent smiled at the usual behavior and nodded his head.

"Go on."

Ciel slowly reached forward, opening the bag up and sticking his hand inside. He felt a smooth surface, and he pulled the gift out of the bag to get a better look at it.

 _"Niveau Zéro,"_ Ciel read, studying the case.

"Your mother and I know that you have plenty of video games," Vincent said, nervously rubbing his neck. "But this one just came out and it's supposedly the best game out there. It has plenty of levels and you can play online with others…"

"How did you guys afford this?" Ciel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we-"

"Nevermind. I don't want to know," Ciel said, arrogantly staring at the game he held in his hands.

"I know you're upset," Vincent sighed, standing up wearily. "You don't have to try the game if you're uninterested. We just thought that it would be a nice present for you."

Ciel watched as his father exited the room, closing the door with a quiet _click._

 _"Niveau Zéro,_ huh." Ciel hesitated before popping the case open and staring at the disk inside.

_I have heard of this. Critics online said that it was one of the best games ever invented. But how did they afford this? It's not like they have money to throw away like Aunt Angelina._

Ciel continued to stare at the disk, debating whether he should play it or not.

_No, I'm not in the mood to play games._

Ciel closed the case and set it down on the corner of his bed.

_But my friends have discussed the release of this game forever. I would be the envy of all of them if I played it… And the critics did say that this was one of the greatest games ever made…_

"I'll play for a few minutes," Ciel declared out loud, standing up and grabbing the game. The boy strode over to his desk and turned on his computer monitor, patiently waiting while it booted up.

Ciel pushed the eject button, watching as the disk tray slid out. He gently removed the game from its case, positioning it perfectly in the tray before it swallowed the disk inside.

Classical music began to play before a menu appeared on his screen.

_That's weird. Why would there be classical music on a game like this?_

Ciel shook his thoughts away, quickly moving his mouse up and clicking on _Install._

The boy twirled around in his chair for a few minutes, thinking about random things and shaking his ankle impatiently until he heard a small _ping._

Ciel turned back to the monitor, his eyes skimming across the screen.

_You have now successfully installed Niveau Zéro. Please create a username._

Ciel hesitated, sifting through all the names that he would be able to use.

_I won't be able to think of anything good since this day has been-_

_That's it._

The boy stopped thinking and absent-mindedly typed in _GruesomeDay._

He waited until another _ping_ sounded.

_Welcome to Niveau Zéro, GruesomeDay. Click play to enter our world._

Ciel clicked play, his interest heightening as he waited for the game to start.

His computer monitor went completely black and the boy stared at it in confusion. Unexpectedly, it lit up, and Ciel was in first person view. He rolled his mouse around and realized that he was on an abandoned highway, still cars surrounding him everywhere he looked.

 _Great. Another thing to remind me of my newly deceased aunt,_ Ciel thought depressingly, and he pressed down the _w_ on his keyboard, pleased when he began to move forward.

_It's like every other video game. WASD for different walking directions and your mouse lets you look around._

Ciel continued to swivel his way around the still cars, glancing around in every direction. A small _ping_ rang out and a yellow message scrawled across his screen.

_Goal: Make your way to the end of the highway and defeat the boss._

_Boss?_ Ciel questioned. _I haven't even seen anything._

The character proceeded to move around the vehicles, trudging slowly across the virtual asphalt.

Three minutes had passed and all Ciel had done was travel across the highway and move around abandoned cars.

_This game isn't even that great. Didn't Dad say that you play online with other people? I haven't even seen one thing yet._

Almost as if on cue, a virtual character appeared next to him, tall and seemingly strong.

_Guess I spoke too soon._

Ciel studied the character until a chatbox suddenly popped up on the lower left corner of the game.

**Perceptive is typing…**

Ciel blinked at the chatbox, wondering why the stranger was writing him.

**Perceptive: Hello. You look new.**

The boy was taken aback at the introduction, but he arrogantly lifted his head and began typing.

**GruesomeDay: I am. This is my first time playing and I was just sent here. Where did you come from? What am I supposed to do?**

**Perceptive: The point of the game is to kill anything that comes at you. There's different levels and different creatures. Each level is harder than the last. I was playing on Level 26 with my friend before he died and I couldn't fend all the creatures off by myself so I ended up dying, too. This is the first level. The goal is to get to Level 0, and nobody has ever done that before.**

Ciel frowned. _Level 0? You go backwards in this game?_

**GruesomeDay: Why hasn't anyone ever gotten to Level 0 before?**

**Perceptive: It's impossible. The creator of the game made it where no one can get to Level 0, but if someone does, they get the prize of a lifetime.**

Ciel perked up at the information. _A prize?_

**GruesomeDay: What do you mean by that?**

**Perceptive: If and when someone makes it to Level 0, the creator will give them 400,000 dollars.**

The boy almost flew out of his seat. _$400,000?! That will help me pay for college, a car, whatever I want… I_ have _to win that  money._

Ciel quickly decided to change the conversation, not wanting to reveal his desire for the cash prize.

**GruesomeDay: So where is everybody else? Don't they get sent back here often?**

**Perceptive: I don't know. I'm not here very often haha. There aren't many users on here though because not many people have this game. I'm sure you know that it's extremely expensive.**

**GruesomeDay: Oh, yeah… right. So now what?**

**Perceptive: Hmm. Well I'm pretty sure my friend logged off. Want to be my new partner?**

Ciel smiled at the thought. _I'm new to the game and I already have a strong player offering me a partnership. This'll be easy._

**GruesomeDay: Sure**

**Perceptive: Alright, follow me.**

_Oh trust me, I'll be following you,_ Ciel thought deceptively. _Then, as soon as you get me as far as you can, I'll let you get killed off just like all the other players, and the money will be mine._


	2. Level 1

**Two Years Later**

* * *

 

"So, if y equals 3 then what does x equal in the equation 12=y(x)?"

"Four. It equals four," Ciel said rigidly, and his teacher nodded.

"Yes, Ciel. That is correct. You're catching on fast."

_Catching on fast? This is easy multiplication._

"The worksheet will be due on Monday. Class dismissed."

Ciel sprinted out of the cramped classroom, bumping a few people out of the way as he ran. He finally slowed down when he came to his locker and began to enter in his combination.

"Hey baby," a voice greeted, and right when Ciel opened the metal door a hand slammed it shut.

"Alois, you dick," Ciel muttered, reentering the combination again. His best friend just smiled at him, leaning against the locker next to his.

"Do you have to work tonight?"

"Nope," Ciel answered with a grin. "I can go straight home and talk to…"

"Perceptive," Alois sang. "The anonymous dude you've been in love with for two years."

"I'm not in love with him," Ciel denied, shutting the locker door with a bang. "We're just partners in the game. Besides, I'm just using him so I can win."

Ciel began to walk off and Alois stumbled behind, trying to keep up.

"But you talk about him all the time! You call him your boyfriend and stuff!"

Ciel glanced back and smiled at his friend as they strolled into the cafeteria.

"Yeah, so?"

 _"So_ you don't even know what he looks like! What if he's a fat old man? Or even worse, what if he has a small penis?"

"Alois," Ciel groaned, calmly walking over to an empty table and pulling out a chair.

"I'm sorry," Alois shrugged, plopping down next to his friend. "But if you're going to be intimate with the guy then you should know how big his penis is."

"It's not like we're going to meet each other or anything," Ciel said, doodling in his notebook. "I mean, he lives fifteen miles away so I guess we could meet, but I'm not planning on it.

Alois pulled out a bag of chips and began munching on the salty snack, crunching loudly as he chewed.

"Why not? You've known him for two years so you might as well meet him," the blond encouraged, spitting out a few chewed up pieces of food, much to a disgusted Ciel.

"I don't know. I guess I just don't have enough time. I have work and school, plus I've only been playing the game with him so I can win the money."

"Yeah right. You've fallen for a weird guy online," Alois said, licking the tips of his fingers clean. "You're lucky I suck at that game or else I'd kill both of you off and claim the money for myself."

"He's not weird though, Alois. He's…" Ciel stopped mid-sentence as he thought about his skilled partner.

"Weird," Alois finished, but his best friend was too zoned out to care about the snide remark; he was busy thinking about Perceptive.

* * *

 

Ciel let out a tranquil sigh as he pulled out of the parking lot in his new car. Two years ago, Ciel's aunt would usually pick him up and watch him until his parents came home from work, but after her passing and after Ciel's maturity growing greatly, he was able to pass the driving test and buy himself his own vehicle.

Music poured out of the windows as the teen sped down the highway, extremely anxious to get home.

Usually, Ciel would be speeding because he would be late for work, then he would have to hurriedly dress in his uniform and speed back into town to get to his dreary job.

Since Ciel was frail and couldn't do many physical jobs, the seventeen-year-old settled for being a waiter at a small diner. The pay was awful, no doubt, but some of the customers tipped well and it would give him a small start toward college.

If it wasn't for the boy's yearning to go to college, Ciel would quit his job right away. It wasn't worth working with his boss, Lau, who was constantly high out of his mind and always had a new whore on his lap.

And it certainly wasn't worth dealing with the cook, Bardroy, whom practically burnt everything.

The careless waitress Meyrin added to the trouble and the other waitress, Elizabeth, was perpetually leaving her post to flirt with other customers and even Ciel himself. Just the thought of the blonde-haired ditz was enough to make his skin crawl.

Ciel slowed down as he pulled his car into the driveway, skillfully stopping before his bumper tapped into his father's car.

 _It's time,_ Ciel thought, grinning widely and racing out of his vehicle. _I get to talk to Perceptive._

* * *

 

"It's been two years," he said stiffly, quickly becoming annoyed with the conversation. "Don't you think it's time to stop being so paranoid?"

"It's never the time to stop being so paranoid!" The powerful man boomed, slamming his fist down. "He isn't a stupid boy."

"How do you know? His aunt was stupid enough."

"No she wasn't," he corrected. "She wasn't stupid at all. That's why we had to make her accident seem like an accident."

"Do you really think she would have gone through with the idea? Surely it wouldn't have been good enough."

"Are you idiots suffering from dementia?" The man shouted. "Do you not remember how close she was to making that idea into reality? We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her death."

"You're right," he agreed. "She was fairly close to eliminating us."

"So what are you going to do?" Another male piped up.

The fearsome man stalked back and forth, allowing himself to peer out of a small slit in the closed blinds.

"I suppose we'll have to get rid of him, as well."

* * *

 

"Hey, Mom," Ciel greeted, hurriedly making his way upstairs.

"Wait, Ciel! Why don't you tell me how school went? Any new kids? Did you ace your math exam?"

Ciel stopped and sighed, admitting defeat by climbing back down the stairs and reentering the kitchen.

"School was fine. No, Mom, there's never any new kids, and of course I aced my math exam. It's an easy class."

Rachel glanced back over her shoulder and gave Ciel a smirk.

"I'm glad you had a good day."

Ciel shifted uncomfortably when it became silent with the exception of the clattering dishes his mother was washing.

"Uhm… Can I head upstairs now, Mom? I want an early start on Niveau Zéro."

"You've played that game every night for two years, Ciel," Rachel chuckled, rinsing off her hands. "I'm starting to think that was the best birthday present we've ever given you."

"It was, Mom. See you at dinner," Ciel called, racing up the stairs once more.

The teen plopped down in his chair and promptly turned his monitor on, eagerly waiting for his old computer to boot up.

Classical music chimed and Ciel smiled when he recognized the familiar tune.

_Welcome back to Niveau Zéro, GruesomeDay. Click play to enter our world._

Ciel quickly clicked play and was redirected to a dark room in which his character sat alone. When Ciel first met Perceptive, the other player taught him how to create his own personal room where they could talk alone when they weren't playing the game.

Lately the two hadn't been playing the game and just settled with talking, which was perfectly fine for Ciel. Perceptive made him feel wanted and loved, a feeling that had been lost for a short time after his aunt had died.

Ciel's character roamed around on his own accord while Ciel waited patiently, scanning the screen for Perceptive.

_He should be online soon. He's always on by now._

Five minutes passed and Ciel was slowly becoming sullen waiting for his partner's arrival.

_Ping_

Ciel's eyes darted toward the noise and beamed when a tiny message popped up.

_Perceptive would like to join you. Is this okay, GruesomeDay?_

Ciel clicked on _Yes_ and smiled when the familiar character emerged from the shadows.

**Perceptive: You're home early today.**

**GruesomeDay: I didn't have to work tonight.**

**Perceptive: So the first thing you do is jump on the computer? How immature. ;)**

Ciel rolled his eyes as a blush dared to creep up his cheeks, lighting his pale face up in pink.

**GruesomeDay: Maybe I didn't have anything else to do.**

**Perceptive: That's possible, but I'd like to think that you missed me.**

**GruesomeDay: And if I did?**

**Perceptive: Then I'd have to tell you that I missed you, too.**

A large smile spread across Ciel's lips as he read the words, his blush darkening heavily. He was about to type a reply before Rachel's voice called out.

"Ciel! Your father's home and it's time for dinner!"

The teen frowned, obviously disappointed with the rude interruption.

**GruesomeDay: I have to go. Will you be on later tonight? We still need to beat Level 27.**

**Perceptive: Unfortunately I won't be free later tonight. We'll have to beat the level tomorrow.**

**GruesomeDay: But I have to work until six tomorrow!**

**Perceptive: I'll be on at six. Then we can beat the level together.**

Ciel gave a brief grin before it faded away hastily. On nights like these Ciel became severely depressed, considering Perceptive was the only one who ever made him happy. Ciel started typing a reply but then abruptly stopped.

**Perceptive is typing…**

_Huh?_ Ciel questioned, staring at the computer screen in puzzlement. _He usually never sends two messages._

**Perceptive: It's odd… you know the most about me and yet… you know the least about me.**

Ciel's eyebrows shot up and he eagerly typed back.

**GruesomeDay: What do you mean by that?**

**Perceptive: We talk about supposedly having feelings for each other. You know my story and what I like, but you don't even know my name.**

**GruesomeDay: That doesn't matter.**

**Perceptive: Oh? How do you know I'm not a stalker? Or a thief? Or a killer?**

Ciel was chuckling now, realization finally settling in. _He's joking with me._

**GruesomeDay: I don't, but I know you well enough to know that you're a good person.**

Ciel was satisfied with his response, and he waited for another remark from Perceptive.

But he wouldn't reply.

The teen bit his lip nervously, bad thoughts floating through his head. _He typically writes back right away… I wonder if I said something to make him upset…_

**Perceptive is typing…**

_Phew. Guess not._

The reply couldn't come soon enough, yet when Ciel read it his face paled and he was extremely flustered.

**Perceptive: I hate to be the one who makes corrections, but I'm afraid you're wrong.**


	3. Level 2

**Two Days Later**

* * *

 

"Dude! Hello? Earth to Ciel. Have you been listening to anything I've said?"

Ciel blinked stupidly, shaking his head in hopes of clearing his mind.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I've been listening."

"Then what have I been talking about?" Alois demanded, getting increasingly frustrated when his best friend zoned out again.

"Ciel!

"I heard you!" Ciel shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. Alois sighed and rubbed his friend's back.

"Alright, dude, I give. What's gotten you so frazzled?"

"It's Perceptive," Ciel admitted. "He hasn't talked to me since that one night."

"You mean since he gave you that creepy reply about not being a good person?" Alois questioned, and Ciel nodded.

"Yeah. I wonder if I scared him away or something. He hasn't even logged into Niveau Zéro once."

"I can't see why you like this guy," Alois said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You don't know his name, you don't know what he looks like and he just told you the other day that he isn't a good person."

"He is, though, Alois," Ciel argued. "A truly bad person wouldn't admit his faults."

"Maybe you're right, but how do you know that he's not trying to trick you?"

"It's been two years," Ciel whispered, tracing random designs on the table with his fingertips. "He's been by my side for two years. If his intentions were bad he would have already acted upon them."

"Ciel, I just want you to be careful," Alois said, his expression now serious. "You've been my best friend for a long time and I don't want to lose you."

"Thanks, Alois. I appreciate your concern."

_"Anyways,_ forget about Perceptive and that videogame. I've been trying to tell you the good news but you keep daydreaming!"

"Alright," Ciel chuckled. "What's the good news?"

"I got a job where you work!" Alois beamed. "I'm a waitress now, too!"

"Waiter," Ciel corrected, but his best friend simply waved his hand.

"Waitress sounds sexier. Which reminds me, our boss is kind of hot, don't you think?"

"Lau?" Ciel stuck his tongue out. "No thanks. You can have him."

"I don't think he's gay," Alois frowned.

"He isn't," Ciel verified, standing up and picking his backpack off the floor.

"Meet me in the parking lot after school," Alois ordered, quickly stuffing the remains of his lunch in his mouth. "You're going to be my ride to work."

"Whatever," Ciel sighed and turned away from his best friend, hurriedly making his way to class.

* * *

 

Just when Ciel thought the blond boy couldn't get any more annoying, he did.

After school, Alois jabbered the whole ride to work, blocking the music out that Ciel desperately craved listening to.

As soon as they arrived at the diner, Lau instructed Ciel to train Alois on the job, since the boy never had experience handling food.

Twenty minutes and two outfits later, Ciel had to cleanse himself of any remnants of food thanks to Alois's jumbling hands, and he was finally deemed adequate enough to work for the day.

Though Ciel was extremely skilled at handling and memorizing orders, he lacked in the social interaction that was required with the customers, which Alois greatly excelled in. The two boys made a terrific duo when they worked together, but Ciel refused to share his tips with Alois, so they usually stayed clear of each other.

While Alois eagerly chatted with a couple, the more moody boy strolled over to a newly occupied table and faked his best smile.

"What can I start you off with today?" Ciel asked, nodding and jotting down the drink requests.

"Two coffees and an ice water, gotcha," Ciel affirmed out loud. The tiny waiter traveled back to the kitchen and grabbed two mugs and a plastic cup which he soon filled with ice.

"I don't know why you always complain about this job," Alois commented as he strolled into the kitchen. "The people are so nice here!"

"Because I don't get paid enough," Ciel snapped, cautiously filling the two mugs full with coffee. "You'll realize that when you get your first paycheck."

"Hey, someone just sat down at one of your tables," Alois said, changing the subject. Ciel glanced up from the two mugs and eyed the man.

He was wearing a business suit, one that would have certainly burned a large hole in Ciel's bank account. Dark black layers of hair rested against different areas of his face, the longest hanging a little below his chin. A stray piece of hair swooped down and rested against the left side of his nose, most likely because it was too short to be pushed back behind his ear like some of the longer pieces were.

The darkness of the hair complimented pale skin, and almost made the flesh light up. Deep red eyes scanned the menu in front of him, and a seemingly permanent frown was carved into his lips.

Ciel's eyes became fixed on the stranger, and he wasn't about to turn away.

_I've never seen him before. Who is he? Why is he dressed so nicely? More importantly, if he has that kind of money, why did he come here to eat?_

The man's eyes lifted from the menu and Ciel paled when the two locked gazes. The red eyes stared at the boy, practically looking right through him. Ciel's knees began to quake and he summoned up the courage to tear away from the intense stare.

"Will you serve him Alois?" Ciel asked, hoping his friend wouldn't hear the shaking in his voice. "I'm kind of busy."

Alois shrugged. "He looks rich. Maybe I'll get a good tip."

Ciel allowed himself to breathe when he watched his blond friend approach the customer, a large smile painted across his face. The man appeared puzzled at the sudden switch, but gave the boy his order nevertheless and Ciel rushed over to his table while Alois was occupied.

"Two coffees and an ice water," Ciel said cheerfully and he placed the drinks in front of the three.

"Do you already know what you want to order?"

"Yes, we'll have…"

_He's looking at me,_ Ciel noticed from the corner of his eye. _He knows that I purposely avoided him._

The young waiter finished memorizing the order and sped off to the kitchen at once, wanting to escape the red eyes that followed his every move.

* * *

 

"Today was amazing!" Alois exclaimed, quickly buckling his seat belt in place. "You should see the tips I raked in!"

"Yeah, great," Ciel muttered as he put the car in reverse and began to back out of his parking spot.

"And the people are so nice!" Alois continued. "I told everyone that it was my first day and they went easy on me! I even served a few cute guys, too!"

"Mhm."

Ciel kept his responses short and focused on driving. He didn't want to think about work nor the handsome stranger that had stared at him.

"And that guy that you refused to serve? He gave me a forty dollar tip! How awesome is that?"

"Alois, can you keep your trap shut for two minutes?" Ciel snapped, instantly scaring the blond out of his happiness.

"I'm sorry, Ciel… I just really enjoy working with you. It's one of the best jobs I've ever had."

"Yeah, well the paycheck sucks, the boss is a stoner, the cook burns everything and the head waitress is a whore. Don't say you like the job until you've worked there for a month."

"Why do you sound so angry, Ciel?" Alois asked, his eyes glittering with innocence.

"I'm stressed, okay? I'm glad you like the new job and all but… I just need time to think."

The blond quieted down after a while and murmured an inaudible goodbye when Ciel dropped him off. The moody boy then had all the time in the world to listen to his music, and he savored the slow cruise home.

"Welcome home, Ciel," Rachel greeted when her son walked in the door. Ciel just muttered something under his breath and proceeded to walk through the kitchen.

"How was work?" His mother urged, attempting to pry some words out of the boy.

"Awful," Ciel snipped. "Alois works there now."

"Alois works there now? That's great! Isn't working with your best friend fun?"

"I guess," Ciel shrugged. "I have to compete for my tips."

Rachel gave him a warm smile and patted his shoulder lightly. "A friendly competition can't do any harm. Your father isn't home yet so dinner will be ready in an hour."

"That's fine, Mom," Ciel assured, making his way over to the stairs. "I was planning on playing Niveau Zéro, anyways."

The boy mumbled a goodbye to his mother and raced up the stairs, curious to see whether his partner was online or not.

_Ping_

_Welcome back to Niveau Zéro, GruesomeDay. Is there something you need?_

Ciel held his breath before he began typing.

_Check for messages._

_Please wait a moment._

The boy waited, clinging to a thread of hope that Perceptive was online.

_Ping_

_No new messages._

Ciel drummed his fingers against his desk, pondering his options. The virtual simulator, also known as Niveau, was a special update to the game Ciel had downloaded a year ago, and 'she' provided any information about the game that he needed to know. The boy released his breath before typing once again.

_Niveau._

_Yes, GruesomeDay?_

_Check if Perceptive is online._

_Please wait a moment._

His eagerness rose as Niveau took longer and longer, the minutes feeling like years.

_Perceptive is not online. Would you like to send him a message, GruesomeDay?_

_No, thank you, Niveau. That will be all._

_Enjoy your game, GruesomeDay. Niveau out._

Ciel left his computer desk and laid down on his bed, disappointment flooding through him.

_I did make him angry,_ he thought. _I wish he would just get on so I could apologize…_

Thoughts of the staring stranger and the emptiness he felt from Perceptive haunted him until he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

"Ciel! Ciel!"

The boy lazily opened his eyes and glanced around him, his vision appearing clouded.

"Ciel!"

"Mom?" Ciel asked, more to himself than anyone, and he sat up, causing his vision to get even foggier. The boy started to heave, and he realized why his vision had appeared so impaired.

_Smoke._

"Ciel, get out of your bedroom!" His mother screamed from downstairs.

"The house is on fire!"

 


	4. Level 3

Ciel started to cough copiously as more and more smoke seeped under the door and flooded into his room, obscuring his vision entirely.

The boy jumped off his bed alertly and opened up his window, noticing that his parents were already outside.

"Ciel, jump!" Vincent instructed when he noticed his distressed son was afraid of leaping from the second story.

"You'll be okay," Rachel assured. "Please hurry up and jump!"

Ciel nodded shakily and began to crawl out of the window, hanging his right leg limply over the sill. He regrettably glanced back into his room and saw that his computer monitor was still on.

_Niveau Zéro!_ Ciel realized, and he immediately jumped back into his bedroom.

"What?!" Vincent gaped as he watched his only child reenter the burning building.

"Ciel! Get out here! You'll be killed! What is he doing?"

Ciel ignored his parent's frantic cries and he rushed over to his computer, rapidly pushing the eject button on the disc tray.

"Come on, come on," Ciel pleaded to himself, and he breathed with relief when the tray popped open.

Sirens filled the air and Ciel sprinted back toward the window, desperately holding onto the only communication he had with Perceptive.

Not wasting any time, Ciel dove out of his window, clinging to the disc and hoping it would be enough to protect it. The boy hit the grass with a thud, and Vincent and Rachel raced over to their son.

Rachel picked Ciel up in her arms and cradled him, stroking his hair lovingly while Vincent checked for injuries.

"I thought I was going to lose you," Rachel whined. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Ciel murmured, and his parents nervously laughed at the remark.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

Ciel was put down on the ground and he watched as two fire trucks skidded to a stop, dozens of firemen rushing out to control the flames.

_I'm lucky I got out alive,_ Ciel thought, and he looked down at the disc he held in his hands. Fortunately, it hadn't been harmed in his excursion, and Ciel traced the patterns that littered the upside.

The boy looked up when the fire seemed to tame under the influence of the huge water streams that consumed what was once Ciel's home. He frowned and was about to look back down at the video game until his eyes fell on a peculiar object.

There, sitting right next to one of the charred corners of the house, was a red gas can.

* * *

 

"Damn, dude. That sucks. Of course you can stay with me. But where are your parents going to stay?"

Ciel viciously bit down on his sandwich, uncaringly chewing with his mouth open.

"They're going to stay with my aunt and uncle a few miles away. I would stay with them but I have school and I can't afford to drive back and forth every day."

Alois stuck his tongue out. "I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to deal with your crazy family, either."

Ciel smiled solemnly at the rude comment. He knew his best friend was trying to cheer him up, but he couldn't find the strength to smile.

"It'll be okay, Ciel," Alois promised, caringly patting his friends' back. "We'll have tons of fun while you're living at my house. We'll throw dozens of parties and drink 'til we're wasted and we'll fuck all kinds of guys. Plus I have a laptop so you can always talk to Perceptive."

Ciel chuckled at Alois's immaturity and he gave him a genuine smile.

"You're right, Alois. We'll have fun. And I can talk to Perceptive so I won't fall into a deep and dark depression."

The blond beamed and he nodded excitedly. "That's right!"

A loud bell sounded and the two boys immediately frowned.

"Time for class," they both synchronized.

"Remember to meet me in the parking lot," Alois added as the two began to part.

"I know, I know. Have a good class, Alois."

"Psh," Alois scoffed. "Mr. Sutcliff BLOWS!"

"I heard that, you little brat!" A voice squeaked, and the two boys giggled before running off, escaping the teacher's rage.

* * *

 

"I need two cheeseburgers with a side of fries and a large cola," Ciel called out, scurrying into the kitchen.

"Get your own fuckin' cola," Bard spat as he wiped his brow. "I've got seven orders here."

"If you learned how to cook then maybe you wouldn't have to keep redoing orders," Alois suggested, earning him a laugh from Ciel and a death glare from Bardroy.

"Ciiiiiiel," Elizabeth sang while she made her way over to the dark-haired waiter. "You look absolutely dashing in that outfit."

Ciel wrinkled his nose in disgust when the promiscuous girl winked at him, fluttering her eyelashes suggestively.

"Maybe you and I can finally go on a date tonight?"

"Sorry toots," Alois interjected and he casually draped his arm over Ciel's shoulders.

"Me and this guy have plans tonight."

"You and Ciel?" Elizabeth barked. "How are your plans better than us going out on a date?"

"You didn't know?" Alois questioned, feigning surprise. "The truth is, Ciel and I are undeniably in love with each other and we secretly have gay sex behind the dumpster out back."

"Gross!" Elizabeth screeched, and the best friends doubled over in laughter as they watched the blonde waitress run off.

"Thanks, Alois. You saved me once again," Ciel breathed.

"No problem, man. Ooh, speaking of trouble," Alois started nervously. "There's that guy sitting in your section again."

"That guy?" Ciel wondered out loud, and he turned around and gasped.

It was the man who had been in there yesterday. He was once again wearing another expensive suit, his attire neatly pressed and his shoes perfectly polished. Black hair was partially pushed behind his ears while a few pieces still rested against his face, and dark red eyes scanned their way around the diner.

_Him? Why is he in here again?_

"I'm surprised he came back in," Alois muttered. "At least he leaves good tips."

Ciel ignored his blabbering friend and focused on the stranger.

_Something isn't right. Surely he isn't coming back for the food._

Ciel's logic floated away when the red eyes stopped glancing around the restaurant and concentrated on the kitchen.

_He's looking at me again._

"Ciel, are you alright?" Alois questioned in a concerned voice. "Do you want me to serve him again?"

"No," Ciel answered. "I-I can handle him."

"You're going to be okay," Alois carefully spoke, and he gently placed a hand on his friends' shoulder. "I'll be right here."

Ciel nodded and he took a deep breath before exiting the kitchen, faking pride as he strolled toward the booth.

"Good afternoon," Ciel greeted, deciding to avoid the strangers gaze by pulling out his pad and fixing his eyes on the paper. "What can I start you off with?"

"How rude," the stranger spat, and from the corner of Ciel's eye he could see the man glaring.

The boy's knees began to quake and he deplorably tore his stare away from the paper to look up at the disapproving eyes.

_That color… so unique yet so frightening. Damn it, Ciel, keep yourself together. Why am I so nervous?_

"W-what?" Ciel stuttered.

"That was very rude of you," the man repeated. "You greeted me without even giving me a glance to acknowledge my presence. You're stuttering when you talk, as well, and I find that to be inadequate behavior while interacting with a customer."

Ciel gawked at the statement, unable to find any words to say.

_That dickhead. Who does he think he is?_

"You don't need to say anything," the man said. "You're probably just a trainee anyways… one that apparently doesn't know his job well."

"I'm not a trainee!" Ciel protested, but the man merely chuckled.

"Throwing a tantrum won't get you anywhere. I'll start off with a glass of water and two slices of lemon, can you remember that?"

Ciel was about to yell at the stranger before his logic took over once again.

_This is game. His goal is to make me angry and blow up in front of my customers. He wants me to make a fool of myself. I'll just have to play my own game._

Ciel cleared his throat and he narrowed his eyes sternly. "I'm sorry, Sir, but this establishment does not allow harassment whatsoever. I will not be ridiculed and embarrassed in my own work place. Furthermore, if you continue to torment me I will have to ask you to leave."

The man appeared shocked for a moment before he flashed Ciel a grin, one that melted his bravery away.

"That was a very intriguing retort. I didn't expect that. Very well, you've caught my attention and I no longer feel that you're mediocre. A glass of water and two slices of lemon please, and do make sure the water is icy cold," the man concluded with a wink, and Ciel became extremely flustered.

"Y-yes Sir," he sputtered, then dashed off to the kitchen precipitously.

"Whoa, Ciel, you're flushed," Alois exclaimed, laying a hand on his friends' cheek in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Ciel said, and a confused look washed over his face when Alois began to giggle profusely.

"Alois? Alois what's so funny?"

"I… hehehe… You… haha… Should get back out there and give him his drink," Alois stated, bringing his face close to whisper in Ciel's ear. "And you might want to tuck that away."

"Huh?" Ciel wondered out loud, and his face became beet red when he glanced down and saw a protuberance in his pants.

* * *

 

"Shut up."

"That was GREAT! You were so turned on it wasn't even funny!"

"Alois, shut up!"

"I… I can't breathe!"

"ALOIS! It wasn't that funny!"

"For me it was!"

Ciel sighed as his laughing friend continued to pester him with the reminder of what had happened earlier at work.

The gloomier boy plopped down on Alois's bed and turned on his laptop while the blond was still snickering on the floor.

"What? You're still going to talk to Perceptive?" Alois asked in between breaths.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, judging by the swelling in your pants I thought you forgot about him," Alois said, bursting into another fit of uncontrollable laughter.

_Stupid prick,_ Ciel thought bitterly as he opened the game. _Why wouldn't I talk to Perceptive? Even though he hasn't been on in days…_

Ciel was nervous as the classical music chimed, and he hoped that his partner would finally be on.

_Niveau._

_Yes, GruesomeDay?_

_Check if Perceptive is online._

_Please wait a moment._

Ciel held his breath and crossed his fingers, desperately hoping that the answer was yes. After going through the tragedy of losing his home and dealing with the perfectionist customer at work, he wanted to talk to Perceptive. No, he _needed_ to talk to Perceptive. Without him, life was even more dreary and dark. Without him, there was no happiness in Ciel's life, no meaning. Without him…

_Ping_

Ciel's eyes darted up at the computer screen.

_Yes, GruesomeDay. Perceptive is online._


	5. Level 4

 "Frances, will you pass the salt, please?"

"Of course."

Rachel chewed anxiously as everyone resumed their silence once more, the only noise being the scraping and clattering of forks against plates.

The blonde woman looked to her husband for reassurance, and Vincent glanced at her with sympathetic eyes. He knew how Rachel felt about his sister, and it wasn't exactly a warm vibe you felt around family.

Rachel and Frances never got along; quite the opposite, actually. Rachel never had a problem with Frances until the insensitive woman found out that her and Vincent were to be married, only afterwards did it go downhill.

"I swear," Frances had hissed, shoving her face in the proximity of Rachel's. "If you even think about hurting my brother I will strangle your pretty little neck until your face turns purple."

The threat had more or less frightened Rachel to death, and after Frances was given a stern talk from Vincent, she backed off… somewhat.

Frances still shot Rachel stony glares when her brother wasn't looking, and she wouldn't pass up on an opportunity to humiliate the woman. Her husband was different, however, for he enjoyed Rachel's sweet demeanor and he considered the woman family, so Frances had to watch what she said at times.

Actually, Frances was considering the idea of stabbing herself multiple times with the silverware she had been eating with, because she wasn't in a very good place right now.

Last night, Vincent and Rachel's house had mysteriously caught fire and was left in ashes. When Frances heard the news, Rachel certainly wasn't her main concern. In fact, the woman hadn't even asked about her when she was informed of the fire.

"Frances, there's been an accident," Alexis began, tiny tears glistening in his eyes. "Vincent and Rachel's house has burnt down."

"Oh no! Is Ciel alright? Please tell me my nephew didn't get hurt. And what about Vincent? Was my brother injured?" Frances inquired.

"They're alright, but aren't you worried about Rachel?"

"Oh yes… Rachel. How is she?" Frances asked monotonously.

"They're all fine, but Vincent and Rachel will need a place to stay."

"What about Ciel?"

"He'll be staying with a friend for the time being so he's able to drive to school and work everyday, but Vincent and Rachel don't have anywhere to go."

"Of course Vincent can stay here! I won't have my brother living on the streets," Frances grit her teeth, regrettably choking out, "nor his _wife."_

Frances didn't mind having her brother stay with them. Vincent had helped her out on many earlier occasions, so it was the least she could do for her sibling. Having to sleep under the same roof and eat at the same table with Rachel, however, was a different story.

"So do you miss your son?" Frances questioned, her eyes fixated on Rachel.

"Of course I do," Rachel answered, taking a delicate sip out of her wine glass. "Ciel means the world to me. We both miss not being able to wish him a good day at school in the mornings and goodnight in the evenings."

"If you miss him so much then why are you letting him stay with a friend?"

"Frances," Alexis warned.

"What?" Frances quizzed, her eyes shifting to her husband. "It was an honest question."

"I don't mind, Alexis," Rachel assured. "We're allowing Ciel to stay with a friend because he wouldn't be able to drive to work everyday if we didn't, and it isn't right for us to deprive him of his hardworking money."

Frances elegantly lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a small swallow before replying. "It's very irresponsible to leave your child with another family, you know. I don't appreciate my nephew being in a household that won't take care of him."

"The Trancy's are a nice family," Rachel insisted. "Vincent and I have known them for years, and their son Alois is another representation of Ciel, responsible and extremely clever."

"It's such a shame to see Ciel being put in this kind of situation."

"Frances…"

"Because I know," Frances continued, raising her voice and ignoring her husband's pleas. "That Angelina would never let Ciel run wild with some bastard juvenile and _I know_ that she would have taken care of that boy and given him everything he needed, not sending him to work at some poor persons eatery and ruining his reputation that he as a Phantomhive deserves!"

"Frances!" Alexis tried, but his wife was done. The woman slammed her fist down on the table, her fork flying off of her plate and her wine glass spilling over with a _clink._

Rachel gasped in terror and covered her mouth with her hands. Vincent securely grasped his wife's shoulders and Alexis attempted to speak with Frances one more time but the woman stalked off, her face red from anger and her eyes full of hatred.

"Rachel, are you alright?" Vincent whispered.

"Yes, I… I'm fine."

"I think we're going to excuse ourselves," Vincent said to his brother-in-law. "Rachel's tired and we're both a little strung out from the fire. Thank you for a wonderful dinner, Alexis."

"Don't mention it," Alexis smiled wearily. "I apologize for my wife's outburst tonight, she's a little strung out herself. Do try to get some rest."

"You as well," Vincent said, and he stood to guide his terrified wife to their room.

* * *

 

Vincent's eyes opened wide and he could hear his wife breathing softly next to him. He turned his head to look at the clock.

_2:38_

Deciding against trying to fall back asleep, Vincent slowly rose from the bed and stretched.

_I'm sure Frances and Alexis have alcohol somewhere in this house._

Searching for alcohol wasn't exactly the best thing for Vincent to do, but in the state of mind he was in he really didn't care.

In his past, Vincent had been a raging alcoholic who was arrested numerous times and on the edge of death thanks to his addiction. Vincent didn't care about living and there wasn't one thing that made him want to stop drinking.

Until he met Rachel.

She was perfect. Beautiful, lively, sweet. Everything Vincent had ever wanted. She wasn't just another girl he'd sleep with at a party and she wasn't a girl he'd date to get free drinks and a place to sleep. She was someone he really wanted to be with.

So Vincent threw all of his alcohol away. He sobered up, luckily captured Rachel's heart, and the two married on his anniversary of being sober.

The man hadn't drank a drop of liquor since that day, but now Vincent was at a point in his life where alcohol seemed to be his only route to happiness. He had lost his home, he wouldn't be able to see his son for a while, Rachel had been a paranoid mess and the tenseness between his sister and wife was starting to become unbearable.

_I'll only have one glass,_ Vincent assured himself as he silently treaded downstairs. _One glass of whiskey and then I'll go back to bed._

Vincent took one step into the kitchen before he stopped.

_Frances?_

His sister was sitting at the table, tears streaming down her face and her head resting against her left hand. A bottle of whiskey was already sitting on the table opened, and the woman had a full glass of the spirit tightly clenched in her right hand.

"Mind if I join you?" Vincent whispered softly. Frances looked up and blinked her eyes rapidly.

"Vincent?"

He approached his sister and gestured to the chair next to her.

"May I?"

"Oh… Why, of course."

Vincent sat and waited as his sister sloppily wiped her hand across her face to clear the tear tracks.

"That's not how we were raised," Vincent joked. "Remember what mother always said, 'ladies use tissues to blot away their sensitivities.' They don't use their hands."

"To hell with how we were raised," Frances chuckled lightly. "Ladies don't typically drink this much whiskey, either."

"Well, _Lady,_ I'm a man and I'd like to have a drink of whiskey too, if that's alright."

"There's glasses in the cupboard."

Vincent chose to ignore the offer and he grabbed the bottle of whiskey, latching his mouth onto the rim and taking a large swig out of the jug. When Frances's mouth practically fell to the floor, Vincent laughed quietly and wiped his mouth with his hand.

"To hell with how we were raised, right?"

Frances smiled and she lifted her glass up in a toast. "To hell with how we were raised."

Vincent smirked and he clanked the bottle against Frances's glass, the two siblings chuckling as they took a drink together.

"Frances," Vincent began, his tone now serious. "What did you mean when you mentioned Angelina?"

His sister set her glass back down on the table and kept her eyes lowered.

"I meant what I said."

"Do you really think Angelina would have raised Ciel better than us?"

"I… I don't know, Vincent. I don't think so. I love you and there's nothing wrong with Ciel. I just miss Angelina, so much," Frances choked, a tear running down her face. Vincent rubbed her back soothingly as he took another drink.

"We all miss her, but why do _you_ miss her so much? She was Rachel's sister, and I know how you feel about Rachel."

"Angelina was nothing like Rachel," Frances spat, more tears falling from her eyes. "Angelina was such a determined woman. When she wanted something she would fight to get it. That's why she had so much money. She wanted to be at the top of her career and she had no problem clawing her way there."

"Rachel has determination too," Vincent stated softly.

"No, she doesn't. She doesn't know what determination _is._ She's so soft and fragile, she couldn't defend herself if her life depended on it!"

"Calm down," Vincent hushed. "She may be soft, but she's stern with Ciel. Angelina just spoiled him."

"But he deserves it, Vincent. He deserves to have all of those treasures and royalties. His family has always had a perfect reputation, he's intelligent and witty, his looks are flawless. That boy _deserves_ to have what he wants, he's fought for it. Angelina knew that too and she acted upon that knowledge."

"Well for now he can have whatever he wants. He's staying with the Trancy's and he doesn't have parents breathing down his neck. He can do whatever his heart truly desires."

"Ciel wouldn't act on foolish temptations."

"Oh yes he would."

"And you're going to let him?" Frances gasped.

"Yep."

"But that's not how he was raised!" She argued, and Vincent snorted, lifting the whiskey jug to his lips.

"To hell with how he was raised."

* * *

 

"Perceptive's on," Ciel stated blankly.

"He's actually online?" Alois asked, his laughter finally dissipating.

"Yeah, he's online."

"Talk to him, then!"

"Just wait," Ciel said. "I want him to contact me first."

"You're so spoiled," Alois scoffed.

_Ping_

_Perceptive would like to join you. Is this okay, GruesomeDay?_

"Told you," Ciel grinned, and Alois rolled his eyes.

"Hurry up and click yes, then."

Ciel clicked _Yes_ and Perceptive appeared in the room.

**Perceptive: Hello. I'm sorry it's been so long. You have no idea how much I've missed you.**

Immediately a blush lit up Ciel's face.

**GruesomeDay: I've missed you too… but where have you been?**

**Perceptive: I've been busy lately. I have to work too, you know. ;)**

**GruesomeDay: Well you had me worried! I didn't want something bad to happen to you.**

**Perceptive: Don't worry, sweetheart. I won't leave you like that again.**

"Psst, hey honeybunch," Alois whispered, his head slowly rising next to the computer screen. "Where's the sex?"

Ciel punched Alois in the jaw, knocking the blond down on his back.

"Will you stop being such a pervert?!"

"I can't help it! Your relationship is so dull," Alois giggled, sitting back up on his knees.

"At least I _have_ a relationship."

"At least I _have_ a sex life, virgin boy."

"Shut the fuck up!" Ciel screamed, his face turning red. He grabbed the corner of a pillow and was ready to fling it at his friend until another ping sounded.

**Perceptive: Is now a bad time?**

**GruesomeDay: No, no! I'm just… having friend issues, that's all.**

**Perceptive: Friend issues?**

Before Ciel could type back, Alois snatched the computer out of his lap and ran off.

"Alois, you prick! Bring it back!"

"Come and catch me, baby!"

Ciel growled and ran down the hallway, pursuing the blond moron that took the laptop. Ciel was close to reaching him until Alois ran into the bathroom and locked the door.

"Alois!" Ciel screamed, banging his fists forcefully against the wood. "Give me the laptop!"

"Make me!"

"Open this door you twat!"

"No!"

Ciel pounded harder on the door, his anger turning into rage when he heard Alois typing on the keyboard.

"What the hell are you saying to him?!"

"Nothing," Alois giggled innocently.

"Alois! OPEN THIS GOD DAMN DOOR!"

Five minutes passed, the giggling Ciel had once heard ceased and he could hear the lock being shifted. Ciel flung the door open and saw Alois holding the computer, an enormous grin spread across his lips.

"What the hell did you do?" Ciel rasped, and Alois winked.

"See for yourself."

The blond extended his arms out and Ciel quickly snatched the laptop back, his eyes desperately scanning the screen.

**GruesomeDay: Hello Perceptive, you don't know me but I'm a friend of Gruesome's. : )**

**Perceptive: Haha oh really? I'm sure you haven't heard much about me, then.**

**GruesomeDay: Oh no, I have.**

**Perceptive: You have?**

**GruesomeDay: Uh huh. You're all he ever talks about.**

**Perceptive: Is that a good thing?**

**GruesomeDay: Are you kidding me? He tells everybody that you two are dating and that you're the most amazing guy ever. He's crazy about you.**

**Perceptive: Really? How sweet. I have strong feelings for him, too.**

**GruesomeDay: Can I just ask you one question? Please answer it pretty pretty please I really want to know.**

Ciel raised his eyebrows and he glanced over at his blond friend who was already jumping in excitement.

**Perceptive: Haha, alright. What is it?**

**GruesomeDay: How big is your penis?**

"Alois!" Ciel shrieked, and he jumped up to strangle the blond. Alois giggled and he held Ciel back.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"What?" Ciel asked stupidly, his features going blank.

"Don't you want to read his reply?"

Ciel froze and Alois laughed before leaning in to whisper in Ciel's ear.

"Go ahead. Read it."

Ciel gulped and he grabbed the computer once more, letting his eyes slowly drift down to the bottom.

**Perceptive: Does that really matter? xD**

**GruesomeDay: Yes! Please answer it please please please. I really want to know and Gruesome has the right to know if you two are dating!**

**Perceptive: I suppose you're right. Nine inches.**

**GruesomeDay: NINE INCHES?! Can I have an hour with you after Gruesome's done?**

"Alois you're such a whore," Ciel barked, but his friend gave him a sincere smile.

"I'm not a whore, I'm a true friend. I only want the best for you and that's why I said that. Read his reply."

Ciel's eyes floated back to the computer screen and he scanned through the conversation.

**Perceptive: Haha, no. I'm sorry, but Gruesome's the only one for me.**

* * *

 

Ciel stumbled over a chair and slammed his hand on a table, luckily catching himself before he fell.

"Ciely are you okay?" Elizabeth cooed. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Yeah, keep up with the pace, Phantomhive. We're all busy here," Bard called through the kitchen.

Ciel muttered profanities under his breath and got back on his feet, rushing toward the kitchen in a hurry.

"I have three more orders!" Alois called as he ran into the kitchen, as well.

Ciel struggled with balancing numerous plates in his hand and his blond friend caught one of the dishes before it hit the ground.

"Are you okay, Ciel? You're kind of clumsy today."

"I'm fine," Ciel assured. "I didn't sleep very well last night."

Ciel finally regained his composure and he took the plate back from Alois before dumping the dirty dishes in the sink.

The frazzled waiter then grabbed a handful of forks, knives and spoons, wrapping them all together neatly in a napkin. He continued to do this until he had twelve rolls of the utensils and he gathered the bunch of silverware in his arms.

Ciel began to walk out of the kitchen and into the dining area until he locked his gaze on a pair of red eyes.

Ciel froze in place and his pupils dilated.

_Oh no._

The professional man was back, sitting in the same booth he had sat in the last two times. Even though the sight of the man made Ciel uncomfortable, he wasn't the reason why the boy stopped.

Sitting across from the professional man, positioned neatly and equally formally, was Ciel's Aunt Frances.


	6. Level 5

_What the hell is she doing here?!_

Ciel bit his lip and dashed back into the kitchen, practically dropping the silverware in the process.

The flushed waiter slammed the utensils down on the counter, desperately trying to catch his breath.

"Ciel! Breathe!" Alois instructed, rushing over to his friend's side and rubbing his shoulders.

"Ciel! Calm down!"

"I… I-I'm…"

"Damn it, Ciel, _fucking breathe!"_

Ciel sucked in a large breath and let it out slowly, allowing the oxygen to filter through his lungs.

"That's right. It'll be okay," Alois calmed.

"No," Ciel spluttered. "No it's not going to be okay!"

"Ciel!" Alois shouted. "Shut up! You're not in the right state of mind to be jumping to conclusions!"

"You're right," Ciel breathed, pressing a thumb to his wrist and sighing when he felt his erratic pulse. "It'll be okay."

"What's wrong?"

"My… My Aunt Frances is here…"

Alois's eyebrows flew up. "Aunt Frances? That uptight psycho that hates your mom?"

"…and she's sitting right across from that guy."

Alois left Ciel's side to peer out into the dining area, and he gave a sharp gasp when he saw the two people Ciel had mentioned, talking and laughing like friends.

"What the fuck," Alois whispered, and Ciel nodded.

"I know. Why would she be talking to him?"

"No, not that. Your aunt's actually _laughing."_

"Alois!" Ciel exclaimed. "This isn't funny!"

"I know, I know," Alois sighed, walking back over to his frazzled friend. "You can't keep them waiting there forever, though."

"Can't you wait on them for me?"

"I have a feeling she didn't come here to see me," Alois muttered.

"But my aunt will kill me if she see's me in a place like this!"

"Too bad, rich boy. She's your family," Alois said, guiding Ciel to the dining area. "So go out there and give it your all!"

With a forceful shove, Ciel was flung into the dining area, his feet clumsily tripping. The boy took a nervous breath and strode forward, his heart pounding as he approached the booth.

"Good morning," Ciel greeted with a smile. "It's wonderful to see you here again. Oh, hello, Aunt Frances. How are you today?"

"Ciel?" Frances asked, her eyes staring into the boy's. Ciel held his breath as she looked over the uniform he was wearing.

_Don't embarrass me in front of all these people,_ Ciel thought, noticing the crowd of customers sitting throughout the diner. _I know I'm not dressed in the silks that Aunt Angelina bought me, but I swear I'm not poor like the rest of these people!_

To Ciel's surprise, his aunt rose from the booth and stood directly in front of him. Ciel gulped and slightly flinched when his aunt raised her hand.

_Oh no. She's going to hit me in front of all these people!_

But he didn't feel a stinging welt on his cheek. Instead, Ciel felt his aunt wrap her arms around his frame, hugging the smaller body tightly.

"Oh, Ciel," Aunt Frances whispered. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Uh, yeah," Ciel choked out in shock as he cautiously patted his aunt's back. "Why wouldn't I be?"

His aunt let him go and looked around quickly, making sure no one was listening.

"You look like you're _poor_. When your father told me that you were forced to work here I had to come and make sure that you hadn't changed much yet."

Aunt Frances gripped Ciel's jaw and turned his head left-to-right, studying his features as if he were a different person.

"You still have the pride of a Phantomhive, right? You still wear the finest clothing and associate with the appropriate people, right?"

"Of course," Ciel said bluntly. "I don't have the clothing Aunt Angelina had made for me, but-"

"Oh yes, the fire," Frances remembered, shaking her head. "I'm so glad you didn't get hurt. You must have lost everything."

"I-I did," Ciel stuttered, little tears forming in his eyes. "I lost everything I had. I don't have anything from Angelina anymore…"

"And you shouldn't have to work in a place like this, especially since you're a Phantomhive," Frances added.

"Come and live with me, Ciel. That's where your parents are staying and you'll get to play chess with your Uncle Alexis every night. I'll make sure you get the treatment you deserve. Instead of having to wear these rags, you'll get clothing made of the finest quality, dazzled with unique jewels and designs. It'll be just like Aunt Angelina's still alive."

Ciel's eyes sparkled with desire. _I'd get my favorite clothing back. My silk ribbons, my polished shoes, every little thread woven into perfection. I'd get delicious meals whenever I'd want them, and the sweetest sugars that melt in my mouth as soon as my tongue tastes it. The life of a Phantomhive… yes. I want it. I deserve it. That life should have been mine all along!_

A hand gripped Ciel's shoulder and snapped him out of his thoughts. Ciel glanced to his side and gasped.

"Hey, I don't think we've met before," Alois said with a smile, letting go of Ciel's shoulder and extending his hand out. "I'm Alois Trancy."

"You're filth," Frances spat, stepping back and rudely snubbing the gesture. Ciel's eyes grew in horror.

_No, Alois! You weren't supposed to meet her!_

"Filth?" Alois questioned, studying his hands. "I don't see anything."

"You know what I meant, you urchin. You have no right to approach me."

"Listen here, Lady," Alois started, taking a large step forward and shoving his finger into Frances's chest. "You have no right to insult me when you don't even know who I am!"

"Get your hands off me you obnoxious little peasant!"

"Snobby spoiled whore!"

"Alois!" Ciel pleaded, pulling his friend off of his angry aunt.

"These are the people you associate with, Ciel?!" Frances screamed, her perfect hair now in a mess and her cheeks flushed with rage.

"Tell me about it," Alois growled, struggling as his friend held him back. "I can't believe he's related to people like _you."_

"Everyone, please calm down," a deep voice instructed, and Ciel's eyes grew big as the familiar stranger stood and placed a hand on Frances's shoulder.

Alois stopped clawing at Ciel's arms and stood completely still, watching the professional man take control of the situation.

"Frances," he spoke easily. "Perhaps this is a bad time to have this conversation. I'll have a discussion with your nephew, if you'd like."

"Yes," Frances agreed, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "I wouldn't want to make myself appear like some of these ignoramuses."

Ciel slapped a hand over Alois's mouth to keep the blond from saying anything else, and the man smiled.

"It was a pleasure seeing you."

"It was a pleasure seeing you, as well," Frances stated with a polite smirk. "I'll tell Alexis you said hello. Goodbye, Ciel."

"Goodbye, Aunt Frances," Ciel said, and they all watched as his flustered aunt exited the diner.

"That bitch," Alois murmured as Ciel released his hold. "I can't believe she thinks that she's better than everybody else."

"We'll talk about this later, Alois," Ciel stated. "Go back into the kitchen and rant to Bard."

Ciel turned back to the professional man that was now sitting in the booth once more, openly chuckling at the fuming blond that stormed back into the kitchen.

"How do you know my aunt?" Ciel questioned directly, and the stranger smiled as he tucked a piece of hair back behind his ear.

"Is that any of your business?"

"Yes!" Ciel insisted. "I'm tired of you thinking that you can walk all over me!"

"I don't think I can walk all over you. _I know_ I can."

"Fine," Ciel huffed, ready to turn away. "Then you can find a new waiter to serve you today."

A sudden grip on Ciel's wrist prevented him from leaving and the boy scowled.

"Don't look so angry. Why don't you sit down for a while? Then I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"I have to get back to work."

"I'll pay you for spending time with me," the stranger declared with a confident smirk. "How does double your regular tips sound?"

Ciel sighed and reluctantly sat down across from the man. _I can't stand this guy… but I really need the money._

"That wasn't so hard. I'm honored to have caught the attention of a _Phantomhive."_

"Whatever," Ciel muttered, crossing his arms defensively. "How do you know my aunt?"

"I was once a business partner with your uncle, Alexis. We used to have dinner together every Sunday night and I got along with Frances and Alexis quite well."

"A business partner with my uncle?" Ciel repeated, his eyes lighting up. "No wonder you have so much money."

"We'd be perfect together," the man grinned, and Ciel blushed profusely.

"What are you saying? I'd never spend my time thinking about someone like you!"

"Don't play coy," the man said with a wink. "I know how spoiled you are and how you yearn to be spoiled. Your eyes hid nothing when your aunt continued to talk about all the riches you deserve."

_Damn, he already knows me,_ Ciel thought in frustration.

"Who are you?"

"I am Sebastian Michaelis," he introduced, holding his hand out. Ciel went to shake his hand, but Sebastian placed his lips atop Ciel's instead, kissing his hand sweetly. "The pleasure is _mine."_

Ciel's face reddened and he quickly snatched his hand back, making Sebastian chuckle.

"Don't worry, I already know who you are, Ciel."

"How do you know my name?" Ciel snipped. "It's not like I've introduced myself, and it'd be uncouth of you to eavesdrop on the conversation I had with my aunt."

"Pardon me," Sebastian said, raising his hands innocently. "It's not my fault that you're wearing a name tag."

Ciel's eyes darted down to his shirt and he noticed the tag, the color in his face darkening from embarrassment.

_Damn it! I just made myself look like a complete idiot!_

"Now then, I've invited you to sit with me because I'd like to ask you to dinner."

"To dinner?" Ciel exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Why would you want to go to dinner with me?"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to ask so many questions?" Sebastian joked, standing up. "So tell me, what is your answer?"

Ciel blinked. _Why the hell would I want to go to dinner with him? Well, I guess he is kind of sexy, and he has plenty of money… That voice…_

"Well?"

Ciel blinked once more and cleared his throat. "Yes, I'll go to dinner with you."

"Excellent," Sebastian smiled, sliding out of the booth. "I'll pick you up at nine o'clock sharp tomorrow night. Do look your best."

Sebastian kissed Ciel's hand once more and placed a folded up paper inside his palm.

"See you tomorrow night, Ciel."

Ciel sat stunned as he watched Sebastian calmly walk away and leave the diner.

As soon as he was out of eyesight, Ciel curiously opened his palm and gasped.

_Five hundred dollars._

* * *

 

Ciel's fingers danced across the keyboard as he struggled to take down his opponent.

_Come on you fucker,_ Ciel thought in frustration. _Make one wrong move already._

His opponent, one who happened to be a maniacal clown, laughed and jumped back, avoiding Ciel's attack completely.

"Come and get me if you can!" The virtual enemy teased, running off.

**Perceptive: We don't have to pursue him right now if you don't want to.**

Ciel ignored Perceptive's message and ran after the fiend, leaving Perceptive behind and making it harder for him to catch up.

**Perceptive: Are you alright? You haven't talked to me once since we started playing. Did I do something wrong?**

Ciel rolled his eyes and made his character run faster.

"Ciel, are you okay?" Alois chirped as he looked up from his magazine. "You've barely talked since we left work."

"I'm fine," Ciel muttered, not bothering to look up from the computer screen.

"If it's about your Aunt Frances, I'm sorr-"

"I'm fine, Alois!" Ciel snapped. "Just let it go!"

Alois recoiled and curled into a ball, hiding his face.

"Alois…" Ciel started when he heard his friend whimper.

**Perceptive: Please talk to me. I'm sorry if I did something wrong. I just want to know if you're okay.**

Ciel set the laptop down and sat next to Alois, awkwardly hugging his blond friend.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out on you."

"It's okay," Alois said cautiously, lifting his head to look in Ciel's eyes. "But what's wrong?"

"I guess I am a little discouraged by Aunt Frances," Ciel stated honestly. "I love the life of luxury and arrogance, but I love being a real teen, too, which isn't acceptable in her eyes."

"And what about that guy that showed up again today?" Alois huffed. "Why was he talking to your aunt?"

"It's hard to explain," Ciel bit his lip. "Long story short, I have a date with that guy -- erm, Sebastian -- tomorrow night."

"You're going on a date with _him?!_ Are you out of your mind?!"

"It's not like a real date," Ciel insisted.

"Oh yeah? Then what is it?"

"Erm…" Ciel struggled for words.

"Just forget about it," Alois said. "It doesn't matter. Speaking of dates, Halloween night I'm throwing a major party. You're not going to be a stick-in-the-mud and stay in my bedroom all night, are you?"

"Your parents are going to let you throw a party?" Ciel questioned, and Alois shook his head.

"They're going to a friend's house that night and they'll probably be gone until morning. We'll throw the party and make sure the house is all cleaned up before they get home."

"But I don't like parties," Ciel groaned.

"You'll love this one, I promise! There'll be alcohol and cute guys _and_ you get to dress up! Plus you can ask Sebastian to come if you feel lonely."

"Sebastian?" Ciel mused.

"You do like him, don't you?" Alois asked.

"I… I don't know…"

_Ping_

Ciel and Alois turned their heads and stared at the laptop, Ciel jumping to his feet to look at the computer.

"Was that Perceptive?"

"No," Ciel answered quietly. "It's Niveau."

_GruesomeDay, there is an important message waiting for you in your inbox. The sender says it's urgent. Would you like to read it now?_

_Yes._ Ciel typed back.

_Please wait one moment._

"She said there's an urgent message," Ciel informed, and Alois cocked his head.

"Do you think it's from Perceptive?"

"I don't know."

Ciel anxiously drummed his fingers against the keyboard as he waited for the game to load. Eventually, a message popped up, and Ciel's curious eyes hurriedly read through it.

**Sent from: Anonymous**

**9:58 PM**

**Hello,**

**I am happy to say that this game has been distributed worldwide and the profits are unimaginable. It's official that Niveau Zéro is the best videogame in the world. Why would I like to share this information with you? Well, I'll tell you.**

**Niveau Zéro has been on the market for two years now, and already millions of players have joined together in hopes of beating the game. As I'm sure all of you already know, the goal of the game is to beat Level Zero, the hardest and most impossible level there is. Even though the level is supposedly 'unbeatable,' a large portion of people still attempt to beat the game because I have offered the reward of $400,000 to anybody who can conquer Level Zero.**

**Unfortunately, two years have already passed, and though Niveau Zéro has received the countless acclaims that it deserves, not one person has been able to beat the level yet.**

**Many people would say that that's probably a good thing, considering I get to save my money and spend it on something 'essential,' but I'm afraid that's not the case. I offered $400,000 as a reward in hopes of presenting a truly talented gamer with the prize, and since no one seems to have enough persuasion to beat the game, I've fallen bored. The reason I sent this message to every Niveau Zéro player out there is simple: I'm looking for that one talented player because I'm ready to give them the prize that they deserve, and my impatience is heightening.**

**Therefore, I'm raising the reward to $450,000.**


	7. Level 6

"Wait up, Ciel! You're walking too fast!"

"You're walking too slow," Ciel murmured.

"So why are you even going out with this guy tonight?" Alois huffed, still struggling to catch up. "You're dating Perceptive, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Ciel answered, walking up to his locker and entering his combination.

"Then why are you going on a date with that asshole?!"

"It's simple, Alois," Ciel said casually, pulling a notebook out of his bag. "I like Perceptive for two reasons and two reasons only. Sure, he's an intriguing guy, and I'm happy to say that I'm in a relationship with him. However, I'm more than happy to say that our relationship gives me enormous opportunities."

"And those opportunities would be?"

Ciel threw his backpack into his locker and shut the door. He began to make his way to first period with Alois trailing behind.

"If I stay partners with him on Niveau Zéro I have a good chance at winning that prize money. I'd have to crush him in the end, of course, but it'd be worth it."

Ciel and Alois entered their first period class and made their way to the back of the room, taking their usual seats away from the other classmates.

"Going out on a date with Sebastian gives me a few opportunities, as well," Ciel continued, flipping his notebook open to a blank page. "The man has worked with my uncle and somehow impressed my aunt. He obviously has a pocket of spare change that he can throw away, and if I become his significant other then I'll be the one that gets the spare change."

Alois rested his head down on his desk as he looked at Ciel. "So this is all about money?"

"In the end, yes. The only difference is that I have slight feelings for Perceptive, where as Sebastian is another conceited asshole that's playing with fire."

"You're mean, Ciel," Alois whined. "What if you hurt the guy? Why has money always been everything to you?"

Ciel picked up his pen and twirled it around in his fingers, staring at the writing utensil in deep thought.

"It wasn't always everything," he whispered. "It used to be a mere luxury to have money and buy nice things. Now that I don't have Aunt Angelina… Money is vital."

A harsh vibration in Ciel's pocket stopped him from saying any more and he slyly pulled his phone out.

_New Niveau Zéro notification!_

Ciel snorted and he removed his cell phone completely from his pocket, laid it down in his lap and unlocked his screen.

The boy glanced up to make sure that the teacher hadn't noticed yet and was relieved to see that she hadn't.

Ciel opened his Niveau Zéro mobile application and waited for it to load.

"Class, today I decided that we'll be reading…"

_You have one new message waiting for you in your inbox, GruesomeDay. Would you like to read it now?_

_Yes._

_Please wait one moment._

"… He originated from Germany, then he moved here to the United States when he was twenty-five. His most famous works are…"

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**8:22 AM**

**I'm sorry if I did or said something wrong last night. You wouldn't reply and then you just left the game. I was really worried.**

Ciel took a quick glance up to note the teacher writing on the board before he replied.

**Sent from: GruesomeDay**

**8:23 AM**

**You didn't upset me. I've had a lot on my mind lately and I didn't have a very good night.**

"Some people believed that his stories held dark meanings behind them, possibly hinting at a cult in North…"

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**8:24 AM**

**I hope you know that I'm always here for you. Even when I'm at work I keep my notifications on in case you need me.**

"… And once in Persia. Some people still believe…"

**Sent from: GruesomeDay**

**8:25 AM**

**Thank you. You're the only one that actually cares about me.**

A quiet snort met Ciel's ears and he turned his head to see Alois sleeping on his desk, his mouth wide open, snoring mildly. Ciel giggled and considered taking a picture of his friend until another vibration caught his attention.

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**8:27 AM**

**Of course, Sweetheart. I'm working until seven and I know your shift ends at six, do you want to try beating Level 39 with me tonight?**

Ciel bit his lip in disappointment.

_Damn it. I have that stupid date with Sebastian at nine. There's no way I could leave the game without Perceptive getting suspicious._

**Sent from: GruesomeDay**

**8:31 AM**

**I'm afraid I can't play tonight… I have science homework I haven't finished yet and I'm working overtime.**

_There, that should convince him._

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**8:33 AM**

**Oh alright :/ I suppose we'll have to beat the level some other time.**

"… And now he's buried in Boston, Massachusetts. Phantomhive! Have you been listening?"

Ciel practically jumped out of his chair in fright and he nodded quickly.

"Y-yes, Ma'am."

"Then where was he from?"

"Erm… New Hampshire?"

Loud laughs from the class rang out and his teachers face turned bright red with anger.

"Settle down, class! Settle down! No, Mr. Phantomhive, he wasn't from New Hampshire. Pay attention. And wake up that snoring friend of yours, too!"

More laughter flowed throughout the classroom and Ciel moodily jabbed Alois in the side.

"Hey, what was that for?" Alois asked groggily, his blue eyes still lidded with sleep.

"Wake up, you dick," Ciel snapped.

"What's wrong with you?" Alois whined.

"I hate literature class," he mumbled.

* * *

 

"I need two cheeseburgers and a side of fries!" Ciel called to Bard, insouciantly leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

"It's good to see you more relaxed," Alois said cheerfully as he reached for a bundle of silverware.

"The diner's pretty calm today," Ciel pointed out, stifling a yawn. "I like it when it's this quiet."

"I don't," Bard interjected. "It isn't normal when the diner is this fucking quiet."

Ciel rolled his eyes and let his gaze float through the dining area, observing every customer that was either inaudibly eating or chatting.

The sound of a bell dinged and Ciel glanced at the door, waiting to see who was walking in. His heart stopped beating when he got a full view of the man.

He was tall, with short, dark black hair. He had beautiful golden eyes that were complimented with a pair of glasses and he wore a formal suit. Ciel's eyes practically transformed into pink hearts and he smiled blissfully. This man was _gorgeous._

"Ooh, he's dreamy," Alois whispered, peering over Ciel's shoulder to look at the man, as well.

"I want him," Ciel blurted, paying no thought whatsoever to his bluntness. "I want him now."

"I guess you did see him first," Alois sighed before he smiled weakly. "He's sitting in your section, anyway. Go get him, Ciel!"

Ciel smiled and he proudly strut into the dining room, his blond friend watching him in enthusiasm from the kitchen doorway. Ciel cleared his throat and gave a big grin as he approached the booth.

"Good afternoon, Sir. I'm Ciel," Ciel greeted flirtatiously, and the man smirked.

"Hello, Ciel. My name is Claude Faustus."

"It's a pleasure to be serving you today, Mr. Faustus," Ciel stated in a sultry tone, and Claude chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear that. Since it's a pleasure serving me, would you mind if I asked a favor?"

"Anything," Ciel's smile widened.

"You should have your friend over there serve me," Claude said, pointing to Alois. "I find him very attractive."

Ciel's heart sank and his smile drooped.

"Oh… yeah. I'll talk to him for you."

"Thank you," Claude grinned. "I appreciate your cooperation."

Ciel balled his fists up in anger as he stomped back to the kitchen, his blond friend already noticing his mood change.

"What's wrong, Ciel?" Alois asked innocently. "Didn't it go well?"

"The asshole wants you to serve him!" Ciel exclaimed. "He completely trashed me! As if I was a piece of rubbish stuck to the bottom of his sole! He's the most gorgeous man I've ever seen and he turned someone like _me_ away! What nerve!"

"Sounds like a problem," a deep voice agreed, and Ciel turned around and gasped.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Sebastian assured honestly, a conniving smile making its appearance. "I was just curious to find out what was causing all the commotion."

Ciel's face, once red in anger, was now fiery with embarrassment. Sebastian's smile only grew and he turned his attention to Alois.

"Don't keep him waiting, Alois. That wouldn't be a very proper thing to do as a waiter."

Alois blinked stupidly. "Y-yes sir!"

Then the blond ran off toward Claude, leaving Ciel and Sebastian alone in the kitchen doorway.

"Are your days always so full of havoc, Mr. Phantomhive?"

"Shut up," Ciel muttered, making Sebastian smirk. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I simply came to remind you of our date at nine tonight, in case you forgot," Sebastian's eyes glinted with mischief. "Unless, of course, you have your eye out for someone else."

"Shut up!" Ciel yelled. "That wasn't your business!"

"It wasn't," Sebastian agreed. "However, if you announce your business to the world like that then we all can't help but get included."

Ciel crossed his arms defensively as his bubbly friend bounced into the kitchen.

"His name's Claude!" Alois announced with a smile. "And he told me that I'm attractive!"

"I already know," Ciel muttered grimly.

"We hit it off really well," Alois continued, ignoring his friend's remark. "He's even coming to the Halloween party!"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Halloween party?"

Ciel snarled and he stared daggers at his idiotic friend.

_Damn you, Alois!_

"Ciel didn't tell you?" Alois asked naively. "We're throwing a party on Halloween night."

"No, he didn't tell me," Sebastian mentioned casually, loving the frustrated state Ciel was in.

"You can come," Alois said with a friendly smirk. Ciel's eyes widened and he smiled nervously.

"Now, Alois, I'm sure Mr. Michaelis has more important things to d-"

"I'd love to come," Sebastian interrupted. "I don't have any plans on Halloween night and a party sounds delightful."

"Great!" Alois exclaimed. "Just make sure you wear a really good costume!"

Sebastian and Alois continued with their joyous expressions while Ciel's blood was boiling.

_Damn you, Alois._

* * *

 

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself."

"What makes you say that?" Ciel asked, raising his gaze to make eye contact.

"You've barely touched your food," Sebastian pointed out. "Is the dinner choice not to your liking?"

"No, it's fine," Ciel said quickly. "More than fine, actually. I'd never be able to afford a dinner like this."

"Is it me, then?" Sebastian questioned. "It seems you find my presence most bothersome."

"You are bothersome," Ciel agreed. "But you're… interesting."

"Oh?" Sebastian smiled and leaned forward.

"I wonder why you choose to bother me."

"You're certainly not complaining," Sebastian commented. "And I'm afraid you'll never know the answer to that."

"For someone as arrogant as you, you have a fascinating sense of humor."

"Coming from the haughty Ciel Phantomhive I take that as a compliment."

Ciel's lips twitched upwards in an idiotic smile and he gently prodded a tiny piece of chicken with his fork. Sebastian watched with intensity as the boy slowly drew the eating utensil to his mouth, dragging his tongue down the fork sensually before popping the morsel into his mouth.

From the corner of his eye Ciel could see Sebastian's burning gaze and he giggled, shifting his eyes to Sebastian and flashing him a grin.

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Michaelis?"

"N-nothing," Sebastian stuttered, smoothing the napkin that rested on his lap.

"Nothing, you say?" Ciel continued, crossing his legs playfully and licking the last remaining taste off the fork. "So you're staring at me for no reason?"

"I'm staring at you because you're getting quite sexual with a cooked piece of meat."

Ciel's expression transformed into a look of shock from the man's remark, nevertheless he recovered from the lash seconds later and began to smile again.

"There's nothing sexual about the way I'm eating," Ciel denied, stretching one of his legs out. "You're imagining things."

The boy continued to extend his limb underneath the table until he bumped into Sebastian's leg. Ciel hid his sly smile as he daintily rubbed the man's leg with his own, enjoying the harmless action.

"You're getting a little frisky, Ciel," Sebastian commented as Ciel took a swig of wine. "That's your third glass of champagne."

"I'm perfectly sober," Ciel said proudly.

"Yes, but I'm not," Sebastian explained. "And I'm afraid I don't know what I'll do in this state if you prolong this teasing."

Ciel took another long drink from his glass before a seductive smile spread across his lips.

"Perhaps we should continue this date elsewhere, Mr. Michaelis."

Sebastian smirked and stood from his seat, walking behind Ciel and pulling his chair out for him.

"Why, thank you," Ciel giggled, taking Sebastian's hand and standing with him. The two strolled to the exit and Sebastian waved his hand toward the manager.

"Charge it to my card and retrieve my vehicle."

"Right away, Mr. Michaelis."

"Boy," Ciel continued giggling. "You have this whole town wrapped around your finger."

"I'm well-known," Sebastian admitted, opening the elegant glass door and holding it open for Ciel.

The two inebriated males exited the restaurant just in time for a sleek, black corvette to pull up.

"Your car, Sir," the manager gestured, stepping out of Sebastian's vehicle.

"That's your car?" Ciel exclaimed.

"If you haven't figured out by now that I have an excessive amount of money then I'm afraid you're far too fatuous for me," Sebastian murmured, motioning for the manager. "If you'd please open the door for him."

"Of course, Sir."

Ciel grinned and gleefully skipped over to the passenger side as the manager opened the door. As soon as Ciel situated himself the manager respectfully shut the door.

"That will be all, Mr. Abberline," Sebastian dismissed as he lowered himself into the car. He casually pulled a bill out of his pocket and held it out to the man. "Buy your fiancée something nice."

"Oh my, thank you! Thank you, Sir!" Mr. Abberline called as Sebastian began to drive away. "Have a wonderful evening, Sir!"

Though Sebastian raced down the highway, surely going twenty miles over the speed limit, Ciel's impatience was heightening.

Through his lustful ideas and salacious desires, a decorous thought materialized in Ciel's conscious.

_I hope you know that I'm always here for you._

Ciel shook his head. _No, I can't think of Perceptive. I need to leave him behind in my thoughts for now._

_Don't worry, Sweetheart. I won't leave you like that again._

Ciel bit his lip in frustration. _Damn it. Why can't I stop thinking about Perceptive?_

"Ciel, are you alright?" Sebastian asked, squeezing the boy's thigh gently.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Ciel said with a small smile.

_I'm just guilty._


	8. Level 7

_Knock knock._

"Enter."

The man obeyed the command and slowly opened the office door, revealing the first and most important person in the room: his boss.

"Ah, Mr. Faustus," his boss greeted, signaling for him to take a seat. "Tell me what I'd like to hear."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but no, he certainly wasn't killed in the fire."

"What?" The man growled. "How did he survive?"

"You're asking the wrong person," Claude answered blandly, taking a seat at the large table. "But he is definitely still alive."

"How can this be?" He asked aloud, more to himself than anyone. "He didn't die…"

"He has a lovely little friend, though," Claude remarked, flashing a devilish grin.

"This is no time to make dates, Faustus!" His boss roared.

"Au contraire, I believe this is the perfect time."

"What are you implying?"

Claude's smirk grew wider and he casually pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. "Now that he is without a home, he's staying with that little friend of his, and said friend has invited me over to his house tomorrow night; _he_ will be there."

"He'll be there?" The boss questioned. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

The man stroked his chin a few times in hesitation. "Can you ensure his death this time?"

Claude clicked his tongue in amusement. "Certainly. I am your most trustworthy employee, after all."

"Alright, Faustus, I grant you permission to go to his house, but if I find out that you were unable to get the job done there will be extreme consequences."

Claude's dark smile remained and his golden eyes glimmered in the dim room. "You can count on me."

* * *

 

Ciel groaned and clutched the covers tightly, hoping that the tranquility of sleep would overcome him again.

"Ciel, wake up."

"No," Ciel whined, burying his face in his pillow.

"There's school today, you have to wake up."

"Just tell them I'm sick."

"Get out of bed or I'll pull you out."

"Fuck off, Alois," Ciel snapped. "I don't want to go today."

"Calling me by someone else's name won't send me away, either."

Ciel's eyes immediately opened and he sat upright at once, turning to face the person that had woken him.

Sebastian smiled. "Good morning. I've already taken the liberty of washing your clothes and making you breakfast. A towel is waiting for you in the bathroom when you're ready to take a shower."

Ciel blinked rapidly as he glanced around the room, observing expensive furniture and art that was plastered along the walls. His fingers absent-mindedly groped the comforter that he had once clung onto.

_No wonder the bed felt like sleeping on a cloud. It certainly beats sleeping on Alois's floor._

"Don't lose yourself in the scenery," Sebastian joked. "Your breakfast is still waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Why am I here?!" Ciel panicked, ignoring the polite reminder. "What happened?!"

"You don't remember?" Sebastian asked, his eyes growing slightly. "Then again, I suppose it's natural for you to be hung-over."

"I'm naked!" Ciel realized aloud, grasping the blanket once more and using it to conceal every visible part of his body.

"That doesn't do much good," Sebastian chuckled. "No need to hide what I've seen already."

_"What?!"_ Ciel shrieked.

"Don't worry, I'm not one to take advantage of people in a drunken state. I'll admit I wasn't sober, but I wasn't intoxicated enough to take you up on your offer."

_"Offer?!"_ Ciel's face was turning paler by the second. "And what exactly did I _offer_ you?!"

"Sex, of course," Sebastian said casually. "But I declined because I knew you would regret it later. The stripping and the blowjob were a nice memento, though."

Ciel felt like melting into a puddle of embarrassment. This was bad. This was really bad. Worse than bad, this was _humiliating._

"Shall we continue to the kitchen, then?"

"I'm naked," Ciel reminded grimly, and Sebastian just smiled.

"I told you not to worry when I've seen you already."

"I'm not going anywhere until I have something to cover myself."

"So you're bashful," Sebastian mused as he walked over to his closet and opened the two large doors.

"Shut up!" Ciel shouted, his face brightening in a blush. "I happen to find it very unsuitable to walk around naked in someone else's home!"

"No need to get defensive," Sebastian said lightly, pulling one of his white dress shirts off of a hanger. "I was only guessing."

Ciel pouted in frustration and he rubbed his itchy eyes. Sebastian smirked at the childish gesture and tossed the shirt to the boy.

"Don't take too long or your breakfast will get cold."

"May I have some privacy, then?" Ciel snapped, his fingers still clutching the blanket.

Sebastian's smirk grew wider and he nodded. "Of course. I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen."

Ciel waited until the door was completely shut, and he heard Sebastian padding down the hallway before he finally released his grip on the blanket.

_I don't remember anything from last night,_ Ciel thought, soothingly rubbing his temples. _And where's my cell phone?_

Ciel searched the room for a few minutes until he found the electronic device lying on the floor, clearly abandoned and forgotten about last night.

The hung-over teen picked up his phone and immediately gulped once he saw the home screen.

_New Niveau Zéro notification!_

_Oh no_ , he realized immediately. _I forgot about Perceptive._

Ciel opened the app as quickly as he could and instantly became impatient when it said it was loading.

_You have one new message waiting for you in your inbox, GruesomeDay. Would you like to read it now?_

_Yes._

_Please wait one moment._

Ciel's joints began to freeze from his anxiety and his thumbs drummed against his phone screen vigorously.

_Technically we're not even dating, right? I mean, we don't know each other personally, and as far as I know Sebastian could have been lying about what happened last night. And even if he wasn't, I'm not really dating Perceptive. But I feel so guilty about it…_

Ciel's thoughts ceased when his inbox popped up and he clicked the screen rapidly to view the new message.

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**7:13 AM**

**Good morning, Sweetheart. Did you get enough sleep? You said you had to work overtime and finish science homework so I was worried you might not get any rest.**

Ciel groaned from the loving message, his guilt rising to a new height.

_He's making me feel worse! I know he doesn't mean to, but damn it…_

**Sent from: GruesomeDay**

**7:27 AM**

**Yeah, I got enough sleep… can I ask you something?**

Ciel bit his lip and continued to cradle his phone in his hands while he proceeded to slip Sebastian's shirt on.

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**7:29 AM**

**You can ask me anything.**

Ciel fastened three buttons on the dress shirt before replying.

**Sent from: GruesomeDay**

**7:32 AM**

**Are we a couple?**

"Ciel, are you going to eat this breakfast or shall I feed the alley cats?" Sebastian called from the kitchen.

"I'm coming," Ciel assured, his fingers fumbling with more of the buttons.

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**7:34 AM**

**I'd like to think so. Honestly, I do have feelings for you, and I've been interested in only you for the past two years. Do you not want to be a couple?**

Ciel bit his lip. _Do I? He has been there for me for the last two years, but then there's Sebastian…_

"Did you get lost in that shirt?"

"I'm fine!" Ciel snapped.

"Your breakfast will spoil and you'll be late for school if you take any longer," Sebastian hollered. "I'll go in there and fetch you myself if I have to."

"Just give me two more seconds," Ciel said, typing his message as fast as possible.

**Sent from: GruesomeDay**

**7:35 AM**

**No, I do. I'm sorry if I sounded impassive. You're the only person I have an interest in, too.**

Ciel curled his fingers tightly around his phone as he hopped off the bed, the long sleeves of Sebastian's shirt concealing his hands.

He calmly exited the room and blinked in surprise when he walked into the hallway, various paintings lining the white walls.

_These look very expensive,_ Ciel observed as he treaded down the carpeted floor. _I can't imagine the price he had to pay for all of these._

"Ah, there you are," Sebastian stated as Ciel entered the kitchen. "Your breakfast has been waiting for you on the table."

Ciel slightly shivered when his bare feet hit the cool tile floor, but he continued to walk across the chilling surface to the table.

Though Sebastian had reminded Ciel multiple times about the food getting cold, the two pancakes on his plate were still steaming with warmth, the pieces of bacon practically still sizzling and the egg appearing to be freshly removed from a frying pan.

"I can't eat all of this," Ciel admitted, pulling a chair out and sitting down.

"You're a growing boy," Sebastian smirked, giving his tie an adjusting tug.

"I never eat breakfast," Ciel murmured, scooting closer to the table and gently picking up his fork. "I'm usually not very hungry in the mornings."

"I hope you're hungry today," Sebastian stated, turning away from the boy to approach the sink. "I might be a bit hurt if you don't finish the meal I made for you; I put quite a lot of work into it."

Ciel snorted and slowly lowered the fork, cutting a small sliver of the pancake. He then carefully raised the utensil to his mouth and nipped at the piece, becoming pleasantly surprised when it tasted delicious.

Sebastian grinned while he washed the dishes, loving the sound of Ciel's fork scraping against the plate fervently.

Ciel had gobbled the pancakes down within seconds, hardly tasting yet savoring them at the same time. After they were gone, he dove for the bacon, chewing the perfectly cooked meat excitedly.

Ciel nearly swallowed his fork when his phone vibrated violently, catching him completely off-guard.

"Sounds like an important message," Sebastian mused. "Is it your blond friend?"

Ciel unlocked his phone and gulped.

_New Niveau Zéro notification!_

"Uh, no. It's not Alois."

"Your boss, then?"

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**7:43 AM**

**I'm glad. I think I may actually love you.**

Ciel unintentionally released his fork, the metal utensil clanging as it fell to the table.

Sebastian instantly turned to face him, a look of concern shining in his eyes. "Ciel, what's wrong?"

"I-I…" Ciel stuttered, unable to form words.

"Is everything alright?" Sebastian questioned, approaching the stunned boy. "What was that message about?"

"Nothing," Ciel assured quickly.

"No, it wasn't nothing. Let me see it," Sebastian instructed, reaching forward to grab the device.

Ciel immediately jumped up from the chair, dodging the man's attempt.

"Ciel," Sebastian said in a surprised tone. "Why are you so nerved by my curiosity?"

"I told you it was nothing!" Ciel screamed. "The message wasn't important, and it didn't concern you so stay out of my business!"

Sebastian blinked before bowing his head. "I apologize. The bathroom is down the hall to the left when you're ready to take a shower. I'll be in here when you're finished."

Ciel turned and stormed off, having nothing else to say to the bold man.

_How could he do such a thing? Someone as proper as him should know how rude it is to snatch someone's phone._

Ciel entered the bathroom and shut the door, locking it immediately afterward.

_And why did he seem so concerned? I suppose I did act a little stupefied, but why should he care? He was so rude to me when we first met and now he wants to be concerned about me?_

Ciel sighed as he stripped the white shirt off, tossing the garment to the floor and approaching the glass shower doors.

_And Perceptive… How could he confess his love to me? We've known each other for two years, sure, but he doesn't even know my real name._

The boy jolted slightly when the hot water hit his back, sending a relaxing sensation that traveled down his spine and throughout his entire body.

_Do I love him? This started out as a partnership where I would destroy him in the end to beat Level Zero. Now I'm just supposed to abandon that plan and give up on the cash prize?_

Ciel absent-mindedly scrubbed his dark locks, soaking in the warm feeling of water rushing over him.

_I would be walking away from $450,000. I could use that money for college, a new car, plenty of silk clothes that Aunt Angelina used to buy me…_

He almost whimpered in sadness when he turned the water off, steam being the only remnant of the heat.

_Then there's Sebastian. What does he want from me? Is he actually attracted to me or is he stringing me along?_

Ciel patted his hair dry with a towel after drying his body and began to slip into the clean clothes that he had worn last night.

_Ping_

The boy turned his head and anxiously picked up his phone.

**Sent from: Perceptive**

**7:50 AM**

**Are you still there?**

Ciel bit his lip and regrettably logged out of Niveau Zéro. _I hate ignoring Perceptive, but talking to him will only make things complicated while I'm around Sebastian._

He left the bathroom and trotted down the hallway once more, finally ready to go to school.

Sebastian was still in the kitchen like he had promised, leaning against a counter and reading the newspaper with indifferent eyes.

"I'm finished," Ciel announced with a quiet murmur, making Sebastian look up from the paper.

He smiled and stood up straight, setting the article down on the counter he once leaned on. "Ready?"

"I can walk," Ciel stated. "It's only ten blocks from here."

Sebastian shook his head. "That's too far to walk, and you'd be late even if you did walk there; I'll drive you."

Ciel frowned, nevertheless he allowed Sebastian to fetch his car keys and follow him outside, the two heading toward Sebastian's expensive vehicle.

"I hope you'll drive better than last night," Ciel muttered as he buckled his seat belt.

Sebastian grinned, calmly putting the car in drive. "I promise you were never in danger. But if you still don't believe me, then I can guarantee you'll get to school safely."

A small blush lit up Ciel's cheeks and he fixed his eyes on the scenery out the window.

The two males hadn't spoken since Sebastian began driving and Ciel was determined to stay quiet, hoping that he could slip out of the car without a word once he was at school.

"I've been meaning to ask you something, Ciel."

Ciel silently cursed. _One could only hope._

"Yeah?" He asked, turning his head to glance at the driver.

"Your friend -- Alois -- he said you two were hosting a Halloween party."

"I don't know anything about it," Ciel admitted. "But I guess Alois is taking care of all the arrangements."

"I see. Would you be upset if I attended the party?"

Ciel raised his eyebrows. "You're actually thinking about going?"

"Of course. I'd love to spend more time with you, if you don't mind, that is."

Another blush threatened to appear and Ciel faced the window again to hide it. "I don't care."

"Wonderful," Sebastian smiled. "Shall I meet you at the diner tonight?"

"What?" Ciel asked stupidly.

"Today is Halloween," Sebastian grinned. "I'm assuming the party is tonight."

"I completely forgot," Ciel gasped, slapping his forehead. "I have to work tonight, too."

"I'll meet you at the diner, then," Sebastian said, swiftly parking the car.

"Remember to wear a costume," Ciel reminded, opening the car door. "Or Alois will have a fit."

"Ciel."

Ciel halted. "What?"

A playful smirk danced across Sebastian's lips. "Don't I get a kiss goodbye?"

Ciel's face exploded in red, his blush finally unable to be hidden. He simply scowled and exited the car quickly, slamming the door and rushing toward his school.

Sebastian smiled as he watched the boy run away. _I know you wanted to, Ciel._

* * *

 

"Dude, where were you?" Alois asked, watching his friend slump down in his chair. "I thought you died when you never came home."

"I stayed the night at Sebastian's," Ciel murmured shamefully.

"Really?" Alois exclaimed. "Did you guys do anything?"

"I don't remember."

"Oh, darn," Alois said in disappointment. "I wanted to hear all about it."

"He's coming to the Halloween party," Ciel changed the subject. "He said he'll meet me at the diner tonight."

"Awesome! Claude's doing the same thing! You did tell him to wear a costume, right?"

"Yeah. Are you _sure_ your parents will be gone?"

Alois waved his hand casually. "Don't worry about it. I already told you, my mom and my step dad are going to a friend's house and they should be gone until morning. They'll never find out."

"And what if they come home?" Ciel questioned. "Your step dad will kill us if he knows we're throwing a party while they're gone."

"They won't come back, I promise," Alois stated. "Him and his friend will most likely be drunk and Mom doesn't like driving at night."

"Okay," Ciel nodded, a bit calmer with the situation. "But what about me? I don't have a costume."

"I knew you wouldn't have one, so I got one for you, and trust me, you'll love it," Alois winked.

Ciel groaned. _I have a feeling this will be the worst Halloween ever._

* * *

 

"When are you two fucking leaving? It's Halloween, for fuck's sake. Go out and enjoy yourselves or something."

"Don't worry, Bard," Alois rolled his eyes. "We'll be leaving shortly."

"About fucking time," Bard exclaimed. "Kids don't have lives these days."

"Have you ever considered lightening your vocabulary up, Bard?" Ciel asked, tossing a dirty spoon in the sink.

"Hey, I say whatever the fuck I want," Bard snapped. "No kid's gonna tell me what I can and can't say in my fucking kitchen."

_"Anyways,"_ Alois sang, grabbing Ciel's hand excitedly. "Come with me to the bathroom! They'll be here soon and we need to put our costumes on!"

Ciel undesirably let Alois drag him to the bathroom, towing a plastic bag in his other hand.

The blond finally let go of his friend's hand once they were in the bathroom and he eagerly dug through the bag.

"This is yours," Alois said, handing the costume over to Ciel.

Ciel grasped the garment and stared. It was a light blue one-piece, the shorts ending with a bow on each leg, similar to the short sleeves. Over the one-piece was a white apron, ruffled on the bottom and tied in the back with a large bow. In the mix of the cloth was a set of black-and-white-striped stockings, complete with a small black headband adorned with a bow.

"This looks like a girl's costume!" Ciel complained.

"No it doesn't!" Alois disagreed. "I think it looks adorable! It's _Alice in Wonderland_ themed. You have to wear it, Ciel. You have to."

Ciel grumbled under his breath. "Whatever. What does your costume look like?"

"You'll see," Alois winked, opening the bathroom door. "Now hurry up and get dressed so I can put mine on!"

Ciel sighed when Alois shut the door, leaving the unenthused boy alone. He hated the costume Alois had picked out, and he especially hated all of the girlish features.

Though Ciel was hesitant, he slipped the costume on, and was almost delighted to find that the material was exceedingly comfortable.

_It fits nice, and it is comfortable,_ Ciel thought, admiring his appearance in the mirror. It didn't take long before common sense kicked in and his thoughts turned sour. _That doesn't mean I like it, though._

Ciel nervously left the bathroom, only to bump into Alois.

"It fits perfectly!" The blond squeaked, his blue eyes gleaming with happiness. "I love it! Do you like it?"

"It fits," Ciel agreed, patting the puffy shorts with his hand.

"But do you _like_ it?"

Ciel bit his lip for a fraction of a moment before he smiled. "Yeah, I like it."

"Yay!" Alois cheered, hugging his friend tightly. "I'm so glad!"

"Y-yeah," Ciel stuttered, trying to keep his balance while the blond yanked him. "Now go put yours on. I want to see what it looks like."

"Okay!" Alois stated happily, skipping into the bathroom at once.

Ciel sighed and fixed the headband on his head, obviously irritated with the attire but willing to wear it in order to please his friend.

"Hey, who are you? The diner's fucking closed."

Ciel turned his head when he heard Bard, only to hear a quiet murmur in response.

"Oh, you're here to meet him? They're in the back by the bathroom."

He raised his eyebrows. _Sebastian?_

"I'm almost done," Alois giggled from the other side of the door.

"Hurry it up," Ciel instructed. "I think someone's here-"

"Hello, Ciel."

Ciel turned his head to regard the speaker, expecting that Sebastian was the one standing behind him. His eyes widened and he blushed, however, once he saw golden eyes.

_Claude._

"H-hello," Ciel grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

"You look very nice this evening."

Ciel's blush darkened. "Thanks. What are you supposed to be?"

Claude's lips curled in a small smile and he pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. "I'm a butler."

"A butler?" Ciel repeated, looking up and down the man's outfit. "Why would you pick a butler for a costume?"

"Because I'm very," Claude began, leaning in and placing his hands on both sides of Ciel's face. "Very loyal."

Ciel was secretly panicking from the close proximity, noticing that Claude's lips were only inches away from his own.

"Y-you're with Alois," Ciel reminded, his voice cracking.

"I haven't done anything wrong," Claude pointed out. "I'm not defiling what the two of us have by merely caressing your face."

Claude gently rubbed his thumb over Ciel's cheek, making the boy shiver from the touch.

"S-stop. You're with Alois."

"I haven't done anything wrong," Claude repeated, lowering his voice to a whisper. "But I want to, Ciel."

Ciel wriggled in embarrassment, attempting to escape from Claude's embrace when his blush couldn't darken any more. Claude simply smiled at the effort, and he leaned in a little closer.

"I want to apologize for our first meeting. You were trying to get my attention but it didn't seem to work, hm?"

Ciel's eyes were as big as saucers, his body trembling. "I-I…"

Claude ran his thumb over the boy's lower lip. "Let me kiss you, Ciel."

Ciel was completely frozen as Claude came closer, the man's lips ready to connect with his own.

"I'm done, Ciel!"

Claude immediately retracted and stood in a poised position as the bathroom door opened.

"Oh, Claude's here," Alois said in surprise.

Claude smirked. "Good evening, Alois."

"Well, what do you guys think?" Alois posed, a confident hand on his hip.

His costume consisted of a purple, buttoned-up coat with black fur on the shoulders, wrists, and bottom. He wore straight pants underneath that were the same color, and red, bat-like wings protruded from the back. A red bow with a long ribbon was placed on his left breast, and a thin ribbon of the same color was tied around his neck. Lastly, a miniature purple top hat rested on his head, complimenting the outfit.

"You look great," Ciel stated honestly.

"I agree. Absolutely beautiful," Claude commented.

"Thank you!" Alois squeaked. "This party will be perfect!"

"Hey, the diner's fucking closed!" Bard shouted, the three males turning toward the sound.

"I bet that's Sebastian," Ciel uttered quietly.

"Let's go greet him, then," Alois suggested, grabbing a hold of Claude's hand. "I'm sure he found an awesome costume!"

The three headed toward the front of the diner, voices becoming clearer as they approached.

"Pardon me, but I'm looking for Ciel."

"I told ya, the diner's fucking closed!"

"Perhaps you misunderstood me. I'm here for Ciel, and I will not leave until he's with me."

"What is with these older guys lookin' for my waiters?! Y'all like being fucking pedophiles or something?"

"Sebastian," Ciel peeped as he walked toward him, the couple following behind.

Sebastian turned to face him and he beamed. "Ciel? You look fantastic."

"Ooh, your costume looks incredible, Sebastian!" Alois gushed.

Sebastian bowed his head. "Why, thank you."

Sebastian was clad in a black cloak, the cape barely swaying. A white mask with a red border rested on his nose and cheekbone, scarcely concealing half of his face.

"What are you supposed to be?" Ciel asked.

"I'm a phantom," Sebastian grinned. "I think the costume suits me."

"It definitely does," Alois laughed.

"Yes," Claude stated stoically. "It suits you well, _Sebastian."_

"Shall we go then?" Alois questioned, and Ciel nodded.

"Yeah, let's go."

The four made their way outside of the diner, Alois still grasping Claude's hand while Ciel and Sebastian walked alongside each other.

"Who is that with Alois?" Sebastian quizzed.

"That's Claude Faustus," Ciel answered. "He seems boring, but he smiles once in a while."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. _Claude Faustus, huh. I don't trust him. There's something about him that seems familiar._

* * *

 

To Ciel's surprise, Alois had definitely went all-out for the party. There was a crowd of at least fifty people, most likely more. Ciel didn't know hardly anyone, and he tried his best to stay next to the people he did know.

"The music's loud enough," Sebastian commented, having to practically shout over the sound.

"Yeah," Ciel hollered. "I wonder where Alois went."

"Would you like something to drink?" Sebastian offered. "It seems Alois gathered plenty of alcohol."

Ciel smiled up at the man. "Sure. I'll have whatever you're having."

"Wait here," Sebastian instructed, then he began to make his way through the crowd of people.

Sebastian was making an effort to avoid bumping into other people, but it seemed to be futile. The crowd was mostly dancing to the music with the exception of a few, and Sebastian found it hard to keep his balance.

Claude was watching the whole scene from afar, and he smiled as Sebastian finally approached the table lined with alcohol bottles.

_This is my chance._

* * *

 

Ciel tapped his foot to the beat of the music, trying to loosen up as much as he could before Sebastian returned with his drink.

"Ciel."

Ciel smiled and turned around, only to have his smile dissipate. "Oh. What do you want, Claude?"

Claude smirked. "Sebastian had to run to the bathroom, but he told me that you requested a drink. Here."

Ciel regarded the two cocktail glasses Claude held, and he hesitantly took one of the glasses.

"What is it?"

"I made it," Claude answered, taking a sip out of his own glass. "It's an acid trip cocktail."

Ciel glanced down at the liquid and slowly rose the glass to his lips. Claude stared deeply into the liquid, slyly smirking when he found no trace.

_The rohypnol dissolved._

He watched in sinister happiness as Ciel tipped the glass back and took his first swallow.

_It won't be long, now._

* * *

 

Sebastian shook his head and rubbed his tender cheek, memories of the punch flashing in his mind.

_How did I get knocked out by such a measly hit?_ He wondered, standing to his feet. _That Faustus bastard is going to get it._

The only problem, though, was that Sebastian had no clue where he was. He observed that he was standing in a large, open hallway, a few people conversing with each other here and there.

_I must be on the second floor. I need to find the stairs and search for Ciel._

Sebastian decided to go to his right, and he trudged sluggishly down the hall, his head still dizzy from unconsciousness.

Instead of finding the stairs, however, Sebastian discovered a bedroom.

_I should sit down for a minute,_ Sebastian decided. _My head isn't clear yet._

Sebastian treaded over to the bed and sat down, laying his aching head in his hands. He hadn't noticed the laptop that was lying open beside him, and his sudden movement caused the monitor to light up.

Sebastian attempted to blink away his foggy eyesight and he squinted to read the screen.

_Niveau Zéro?_

 


	9. Level 8

“Will you watch where you’re going?!” Alois screeched, pushing his way past dozens of people.

 _Maybe this was a bad idea,_ Alois sighed. _I don’t even recognize my own house anymore._

Alois continued to shove people out of his way, most of them he didn’t remember inviting in the first place. It had been at least an hour since he ran into somebody he knew, and that was a sign that the party had gotten a little out of hand. The whole time Alois prayed that his parents wouldn't come home earlier than expected, because it’d be impossible to kick everyone out in time.

“Claude? Ciel? Sebastian?” Alois shouted, his voice hardly traveling through the room due to the volume of the music.

The blond anxiously ran his fingers through his bangs. _Where are my friends?_

Alois ducked through arms and dodged through a group of people before he saw a body lying on the floor.

 _Look at that drunk,_ Alois shook his head. _It’s unbelievable how people can drink until they fall unconscious._

Alois blinked as he prolonged his staring at the unconscious person. _Wait a minute, that’s Ciel!_

He grinned in relief and scrambled over to his friend, happy that he finally knew one person.

“Ciel!” Alois exclaimed, kneeling on the floor and bending over his friend. “I’m so glad I finally found you!”

Ciel was still motionless, his eyelids not even twitching in response.

 _Ciel’s usually a light sleeper,_ Alois worried. _Did he drink too much?_

“Ciel,” Alois called again, gently shaking his friend’s shoulder. “Your Aunt Angelina’s here to see you.”

No response.

_That didn’t work, either. This isn’t right._

“Ciel!” Alois shouted. “It’s time to wake up! Come on, Perceptive wants to talk to you! Ciel! Ciel!”

Alois’ shaking became more violent, his panic rising and rising when Ciel refused to show any sign of consciousness.

_Oh no._

“Someone!” Alois screamed. “Call 911! Something’s happened to Ciel!”

* * *

 

 _Niveau Zéro?_ Sebastian wondered. _Ciel plays this game?_

Sebastian shook his head, attempting to lose his migraine. Surely the bright computer screen wasn’t helping, and his vision was still distorted, so he could hardly read the title scrawled across the monitor, anyway.

 _But is this Alois’?_ Sebastian pondered. _Or does Ciel really play videogames?_

Just as Sebastian’s eyes adjusted to the bright screen, the sound of sirens echoed through the air.

 _Is that an ambulance?_ Sebastian thought. _What the hell is going on?_

* * *

 

A loud ring had Rachel springing out of bed and she hurriedly reached for her chiming cell phone on the nightstand.

“Hello?” She answered, already seeming wide awake.

“Yes, I need to speak with Mr. or Mrs. Phantomhive.”

The voice on the other line sounded authoritative, and Rachel gulped. “This is she.”

“Mrs. Phantomhive, I’m calling to inform you that your son, Ciel Phantomhive, has recently been rushed to the hospital.”

“Oh my god!” Rachel gasped, a hand flying up to her open mouth. “What happened to Ciel?!”

“He’s fine, Ma’am,” the voice assured. “Apparently he was unconscious and unresponsive for quite some time, so a male party phoned 911. We don’t have the details yet as he’s just now being taken in, but we’ll-”

“I’ll be there to see him!” Rachel decided immediately.

“I’m afraid you can’t do that, Ma’am.”

“What?” Rachel cried. “What do you mean? I’m his mother!”

“Your son’s condition is suspicious, and the police have decided to do an investigation. You’ll be able to see him in the hospital tomorrow after the police have spoken with him.”

“Fine!” Rachel snapped. “But if anything happens to my son without me seeing him, you better bet that you’ll have a lawsuit on your hands!”

“Ma’am-”

Before the voice could finish, Rachel hung up the phone, her anger too great to hide.

“Vincent! Didn’t you hear tha-”

But, when Rachel turned to look at the other side of the bed, she realized that her husband wasn't even there.

_But where could Vincent be?_

Knowing that this was an important matter about their son and that he needed to know immediately, Rachel tied her bathrobe on and treaded out of the bedroom, heading down the hallway to search for her husband.

She didn't have to search long, however, for she could hear two loud and obnoxious voices coming from the kitchen.

Rachel slowly entered the kitchen, and she gasped. There, sitting at the kitchen table, was her husband and none other than his sister, Frances. They were both reminiscing and laughing in an obviously drunken state, for there were bottles of whiskey scattered on the table.

“Vincent!” Rachel shouted, causing the two to immediately shut up.

“R-Rachel?” Vincent asked, suppressing a hiccup.

Not only was she mad that she couldn't see her son, but now she had just caught her usually sober husband getting completely wasted with his sister in the kitchen, acting like he didn't have a care in the world.

No, Rachel was not just mad now.

She was _pissed._

“What the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing?!” Rachel screamed, not bothering to filter her language.

“Ah, calm down, Rach,” Frances yipped. “We’re just-”

“Oh shut your filthy mouth, Frances, and spare me the bullshit,” Rachel snarled. “I know what you’re doing; I can smell the damn whiskey on your breath from here!”

Frances said nothing and Vincent nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well?” Rachel asked, putting her hands on her hips. “Don’t you have anything to say?”

The two kept silent.

“Oh, so now you two are quiet,” Rachel snapped. “Well, just so you know, while you two were having fun talking about ‘the old days’ and drinking like you don’t have responsibilities, my son is currently being escorted to the hospital!”

“Ciel?” Vincent spoke up, his attention finally grasped.

“Oh no, what happened to Ciel?” Frances questioned worriedly.

“They don’t know,” Rachel stated. “The police are doing an investigation.”

“Well let’s go see him!” Vincent said. “I hope he’s alr-”

“We can’t,” Rachel interrupted. “We aren't allowed to visit until tomorrow. So I suggest you get your drunken ass out of this kitchen, throw the damn whiskey bottles away, and get your priorities straight, Vincent, because Ciel is what’s important here, not your _fucking alcohol!”_

Rachel angrily stormed away, leaving her drunk husband and his sister in silence.

Vincent felt awful. Rachel had been the reason he had quit alcohol, and now she had caught him drinking. And if anything would have happened to Ciel…

Vincent shut his eyes, a tear falling from the closed eyelids.

_Oh Ciel, I’m so sorry._

* * *

 

_Ciel, open your eyes._

_W-who are you?_

_Open your eyes, Ciel._

_I know that voice. Is that you…_

_… Aunt Angelina?_

Ciel’s eyelids slowly cracked open, revealing a clear blue sky that was dotted with white, puffy clouds. The distant melody of birds chirping could be heard, their happy singing carrying in the crisp breeze.

Ciel let out a quiet groan as he sat up, his messy hair swaying in the light draft. Looking down, he finally noticed that he was sitting on grass that glistened with fresh dew.

_Is this my imagination? Am I dreaming?_

Ciel gradually dug his fingers into the moist soil, almost gasping at how real the earth felt. The damp dirt was so tangible, in fact, that he was sure his imagination couldn’t have crafted something so vivid.

He cautiously stood to his feet, noting that his legs felt a bit wobbly. Two robins flew above his head, singing their usual tune.

 _I recognize this place,_ Ciel thought. _Could this be…_

The curious boy continued to float through the grass underneath the warm sun and beautiful blue sky. The scenery seemed so familiar and clear that Ciel had the memory on the tip of his tongue. He smiled wider with every step he took, and he became calmer with the further he traveled through the grass.

As he voyaged through the seemingly empty landscape, an outline of a large structure became visible. Ciel squinted his eyes as he struggled to see the object through the bright sun, and he continued to tread forward until he saw what it was.

A fountain.

Ciel slowly walked up to the stone decoration, it’s jets gushing sparkling water. The fountain was incredibly large, for it towered over Ciel with it’s various ornaments, such as the angels next to the spouts and the flowers that were carved into the stone.

 _I remember this fountain,_ Ciel realized. _I used to sit here and draw when…_

Ciel’s thoughts dissipated when he heard quiet humming. The voice was distinctly feminine, and Ciel looked around in questioning.

“Hello?” He called. “Is anyone there?”

The voice did not respond but it did continue humming, the sound becoming louder and clearer.

“Hello?” Ciel asked again. “Do you hear me?”

Again, the voice did not respond, but Ciel blinked in surprise when the sound rose even louder, and the slur of humming began to form words.

_“There once was a foolish butterfly,_

_She trusted a spider, an action unwise._

_He helped her out while their friendship was new,_

_And through the months, her trust grew.”_

Ciel closed his eyes; he was starting to become mesmerized by the beautiful voice.

_“One day the butterfly broke her wing,_

_She lost her hope, her will to sing._

_The spider said ‘oh it’s not all bad,’_

_Yet he blindsided her like a cad.”_

Tears filled his eyes through his closed eyelids, and he forced himself not to cry.

_“There, in the spider web, lies the butterfly._

_She’s close to her death, and she asks why_

_The spider chuckled and said ‘this was your own stupidity,_

_‘You knew I was a spider when you trusted me.’”_

The melody was over and the voice had silenced. Ciel slowly opened his eyes, batting away the stray tears. He started to walk around the curved stone, heading to the other side of the fountain.

And there, on the other side of the fountain, he found where the voice had come from. She sat on the edge of the stone, her fingertips calmly drifting through the water, causing ripples. The bottom of her dress slowly swayed in the breeze, along with the layers of her hair.

Upon seeing the woman with the beautiful voice, Ciel’s eyes now overflowed with tears, the streams carelessly trailing down his cheeks. He dared to speak, though his voice crackled.

“A-Aunt Angelina?”

The red-haired woman looked up to regard him, and she smiled when she saw her nephew. “Ciel.”

“Aunt Angelina!” Ciel cried out, and he dashed over to the woman, crashing into her in a tight hug.

“Oh my,” Angelina chuckled, her dress now slightly wrinkled from the impact. “You’re so rowdy.”

“Angelina,” Ciel sobbed, steady streams of tears falling. “I've missed you so much.”

“Oh, Ciel,” Angelina cooed, scooping Ciel’s jaw up in her hands. “Look at you. You've grown so much in two years.”

She smiled softly at her crying nephew, her hand petting his locks. “Your hair has grown longer, too,” she added.

“A-Angelina,” Ciel sniffled, wiping his eyes with his arm. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

Angelina’s soft smile turned to one of sadness and she shook her head. “Don’t say that; it’s not your time.”

“What?” Ciel questioned in shock. “Can’t I stay here? Please let me stay here. I want to stay with you forever.”

“As much as I love to see you, Ciel, I’m afraid you can’t stay here,” Angelina stated solemnly.

“But I _miss_ you!” Ciel screamed. “Please! I promise I’ll be good! I want to be with you!”

“Shh,” Angelina hushed, her soft hands caressing his face. “I know you’d be good, but other people will miss you if I take you away. Your friends, your famil-”

“But I want to be with _you!”_

Ciel buried his face in Angelina’s chest, his wet face dampening the cloth of her dress. She gently stroked the back of his head, her expression showing equal sadness.

“I want to be with you too, Ciel,” Angelina whispered. “But you need to go back, for me.”

“For you?” Ciel croaked, raising his head to look in her eyes. “What do you mean, Aunt Angelina?”

“I didn’t die in an accident,” Angelina admitted. “It was staged.”

 _“Staged?”_ Ciel repeated. “You mean…?”

“Yes,” she stated seriously. “I was killed.”

“Who killed you?!” Ciel screeched, his cheeks flushed in rage. “I swear, if I find out who killed you I’ll… I’ll kill them!”

Angelina shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you, which is why you need to go back and find out who did it and expose them. I’m distressed that the killer is still wandering around guiltless.”

Ciel sniffled. “Aunt Angelina, will you be at peace if I reveal your murderer?”

His aunt smiled solemnly again. “Yes, Ciel. Nothing would make me happier.”

Ciel sniffled once more and he nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it. I’ll find out who killed you and I will seek revenge on them, and I will not let you die in vain.”

Angelina’s smile widened and she hugged her nephew tight. “Then this is goodbye, Ciel. And always remember: never trust the stranger with a pentagram tattoo.”

Ciel began to question the statement but a blinding white light surrounded him, and he felt the warmth of his aunt’s arms disappear.

“No, don’t leave me,” Ciel begged, his voice echoing in the endless white abyss.

_“Aunt Angelina!”_

* * *

 

Alois swallowed nervously, the quietness of the waiting room heightening his anxiety. “I hope Ciel’s alright.”

“Me too,” Claude agreed, wrapping his arm around the boy’s waist. “Me too.”

“The paramedic said that it looked like someone drugged him,” Alois whispered. “But what kind of asshole would do that?”

“There are some messed up people in this world, Alois,” Claude said. “If he was drugged, he probably won’t remember who did it.”

Alois bit his lip and took a step forward. “I want to see him.”

“We can’t,” Claude stated, pulling Alois back. “The doctor is still examining him.”

“But Sebastian’s in there!”

“How do you know?” Claude wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s his coat over there! See?” Alois pointed, and Claude followed the boy’s finger to see that it was indeed Sebastian’s coat resting on the back of a waiting room chair.

A sly, wicked grin spread across Claude’s lips.

_How wonderfully observant you are, Alois. Oh, Sebastian, you make this too easy for me._

“Let’s go back to the car,” Claude suggested. “We’ll visit him tomorrow.”

“But Ciel-”

“Tomorrow,” Claude promised. “I have to use the restroom first, so I’ll meet you outside.”

“Okay,” Alois agreed, turning his back and skipping away.

Claude could laugh.

This was far too easy.

He approached the dark garment with a smile and he shook his head.

“If they expect that he was drugged, the police will most likely be doing an investigation,” Claude mused to himself. “I wonder what they’ll say when they find this.”

Claude secretly slipped the rohypnol bottle into the coat pocket, before he calmly strode away.

* * *

 

“Ciel! Ciel! Can you hear me? Ciel!”

Ciel groaned and his eyelids barely cracked open, another blinding light illuminating his face.

“He’s waking up! Ciel, can you hear me?”

The boy groaned again and he struggled to open his heavy eyes. “W-who…?”

“Are you alright? Can you see?”

“Who’s there?” Ciel quizzed, his eyelids still droopy.

“It’s me.”

His slit vision cleared when he was able to blink, a dark, blurry figure looming over him. The blurriness gradually faded away, enough to reveal small outlines of two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

Ciel squinted. “S-Sebastian?”

“Ciel! You can see me?”

“Barely,” Ciel confessed, blinking his eyes rapidly. “My vision’s still a little distorted, but I can see your outline. Where are we?”

“We’re in the hospital,” Sebastian informed softly. “Alois called the ambulance when he was unable to wake you up. How much did you drink, Ciel?”

“I hardly drank anything,” Ciel blurted. “I mean, I had a few sips of a drink, but-”

“It doesn't look like alcohol was the factor,” another voice cut in. “Hello, you must be Sebastian.”

Ciel watched through his cloudy eyes as the figure that loomed over him retracted back to greet the other voice.

“Yes, that would be me,” Sebastian said, extending his hand to the person. “You must be the doctor?”

“Dr. Anderson, pleasure to meet you,” the man introduced, friendly shaking the offered hand. “I’ll be the one looking after Ciel.”

“So you said alcohol wasn't the reason Ciel passed out?”

“No, it wasn't,” the doctor answered. “I believe he was drugged.”

 _“Drugged?_ With what? By whom?”

“Rohypnol, most likely. And I wouldn't know; we’ll just have to hope that Ciel can tell us that.”

The two voices continued to discuss the matter while Ciel stayed silent. He was in disbelief. To be completely honest, Ciel couldn't remember what had happened.The last thing he remembered was arriving at Alois’ house, and everything after that was a blur.

 _I know I didn't drink,_  Ciel told himself. _I may not remember what happened, but I know I didn't get drunk. But wouldn't I remember if I was drugged? Who would have drugged me? And why?_

“Ciel.”

Ciel batted his eyelashes. “Hm?”

“The doctor left, and he suggests that I leave soon, too. You need a good night’s rest.”

“What?” Ciel squealed. “I’m not staying in this hospital tonight! My parents don’t even-”

“Calm down,” Sebastian quieted. “Your parents were contacted when you were rushed in here, but they were asked to come in tomorrow instead of now to prevent causing you too much anxiety. And you have to stay here, Ciel. We still don’t know what happened and the police will be here to question you in the morning.”

“But I don’t know what happened,” Ciel insisted. “And I don’t want to stay in this hospital!”

“Lower your voice, Ciel,” Sebastian whispered, the breath warming Ciel’s ear. “It’s just for tonight. I would stay with you, but I’m afraid I have a very important meeting tomorrow morning at work.”

“So you won’t be here with me tomorrow?” Ciel whined, feeling as if he could actually cry.

“I clearly remember a time when you couldn't stand being near me,” Sebastian chuckled, pressing a light kiss to Ciel’s temple. “After the meeting I’ll rush here as fast as I can.”

Ciel nodded solemnly. “Okay. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Sebastian stated, leaving Ciel’s side and walking to the door.

Ciel bit his lip. “Wait, Sebastian!”

Sebastian turned and looked at him. “Yes?”

Ciel hesitated, his hopeful expression falling into a sad frown and he shook his head. “Never mind.”

Sebastian gave him a small smile. “Try to get some sleep.”

The click of the door and the footsteps that were getting further and further away from Ciel’s room had his heart sinking.

 _Why did I stop Sebastian?_ Ciel wondered, pulling the hospital blanket up to his chest and laying his head on the pillow.

_What the hell did I almost say?_


	10. Level 9 Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been about a year since this has been updated. I'm sooo sorry.  
> Time just flies past me nowadays, and I had no idea that it's already been a year. This could have been published a lot sooner, but I have a hard time getting myself to sit down and focus so this was mostly written in little bits and pieces. Thank you all SO much for standing by this story still. I try not to prolong updates for this long, but usually the stories with the most comments get updated first, (just because comments get my attention more than anything) but I promise I'm going to try to make more frequent updates and I will NEVER abandon a story as long as there is someone out there who is enjoying it. Thank you again and sorry for talking so much; I'm terrible. Enjoy!

Sebastian fought the urge to turn around and punch the man who was restraining him.

 He hadn't a clue how this happened.

 It had started out as a normal day, but as time went on, it slowly spiraled into a chaotic mess.

 He knew why he was so familiar now. He knew why he couldn't be trusted.

 The bastard.

 Sebastian was forced into the cell, and he stumbled inside the tiny quarters, hearing the bars shut loudly behind him.

 "I'm surprised you were so cooperative."

 Sebastian turned around and stared into Claude's eyes, no longer able to hide his rage in his facial expressions. "I knew that your company played dirty, but I hadn't a clue that they had the police force bribed the entire time."

 The police officer standing next to Claude crossed his arms, and Claude simply grinned. "You'd be surprised to see how many connections I have."

 "Oh, I'm sure," Sebastian hissed. "It's sad that you treat the people, who are hired to protect your life, no less, like trash."

 The policeman squirmed anxiously from Sebastian's words, but Claude didn't bat an eyelash.

 "It's only business."

 "It isn't business. It's _greed."_

 "Greed, business. Aren't they the same thing?" Claude asked. "After all, businesses wouldn't exist if there wasn't any money to keep them motivated."

 "Motivated and obsessed are not synonyms," Sebastian growled. "You aren't ambitious. You're obsessed with money, and you'd stop at nothing to earn more."

 Claude shook his head. "You think too lowly of me, Sebastian. You shouldn't be judging me so harshly, you know. _You_ drugged Ciel. That makes you no better than I."

 "I didn't do that and you know it, Faustus! Your friend knows it, too," Sebastian said, his eyes traveling over to the officer. The policeman looked down guiltily; he was aware that what he was doing was wrong.

 "No matter," Claude dismissed, shaking his head. "You'll be staying here until my job is completed. If all goes well, you'll go to trial soon and be put in jail afterwards."

 "Is that why you're here? To brag about my downfall?" Sebastian questioned, his smoldering eyes still remaining ablaze.

 "No, that's not why I'm here," Claude stated, a smile spreading across his lips. He looked at the officer and gestured toward Sebastian. "Open up his cell. There's only one thing I want from him."

* * *

 

**12 Hours Earlier**

* * *

 

 Ciel felt exhausted.

 He had been woken up extremely early in the morning by his nurse, who came in to check his vitals and IV. After she left, two detectives arrived soon after, and they stayed for an hour. They asked fairly basic questions, most of them Ciel couldn't answer considering he didn't remember a thing. The detectives eventually left, but by that time Ciel's family had already made their appearance, and it seemed to take Ciel forever to convince his worried mother that he'd be okay. 

 He hated being in the hospital. It was pointless for him to stay any longer, considering he felt fine and the doctor said himself that there weren't any problems. But it wasn't his health that was keeping him in the hospital; it was law enforcement. The police had no idea who drugged him last night, but whoever had drugged him planned on doing something to Ciel, that fact was obvious. For his safety and for their investigation, they were keeping Ciel in the hospital.

  _They can't keep me here forever, though._

 And Ciel, seemingly out of his mind, found some positivity in the situation. Sebastian had called him this morning to make sure Ciel was doing fine, which was a nice gesture. Sebastian had to work today, however, and that dimmed Ciel's mood a bit. But on the brightside, Ciel finally had time to think about the various issues he had been contemplating.

  _What am I going to do about Perceptive?_

 Ciel couldn't recall the last time he talked to his internet partner, but the very thought made him sick to his stomach. He didn't know Perceptive from an average stranger on the street, and Perceptive didn't know who Ciel was, either. Their relationship was supposed to be a mere benefit to Ciel's progress in the game, nothing more. Logically, that's how their relationship should continue to be, too. Nowadays, you never know who you're talking to on the internet; hell, Perceptive could be a little kid or an old man for all he knew, so their friendship should simply revolve around the game.

 Ciel had a problem processing that thought, though. Sure, Perceptive was a stranger, but at the same time, Perceptive knew more about Ciel than anyone else. Ciel recalled those dark nights when he was all alone, crying in his room and feeling as if the whole world was against him. Perceptive was there on every one of those dark nights. He talked to him and supported him. He listened to Ciel's problems. And when Perceptive had a bad day, Ciel was there for him, as well. This wasn't a normal, everyday friendship. They both cared for each other deeply, whether they liked it or not. 

  _Perceptive is someone I've come to love,_ Ciel realised. _But is he the one I truly love?_

 Ciel wasn't so sure, because there inlies the problem: Sebastian.

 The rude, haughty businessman who had berrated him at work definitely threw him for a loop. One day he felt extreme hatred for the man, the next day he was entirely infatuated with his very being. Sebastian confused him to no end, and Ciel couldn't begin to comprehend him. When they first met, Sebastian acted like Ciel was the most disgusting lifeform he had ever set his eyes on. Then, out of the blue, Sebastian asked him to dinner, whether out of pity or interest, Ciel didn't know. They got drunk, Ciel apparently became very frisky, he stayed the night with Sebastian, blah blah blah.

  _Then he escorted me to the Halloween party and I ended up here._

 Based on all of this information, Sebastian was most likely a psychopath, not to mention that he also got along with Ciel's Aunt Frances, a woman who would destroy the universe itself if given the power. 

  _But that psychopath did give me a place to stay, food to eat, and a checkup call this morning._

 Ciel's mind was racing. He could betray the caring person that he had set out to betray in the first place, or he could end his chances at finally finding something real.

 He took a deep breath and picked up his cellphone. He had made his decision.

* * *

 

 Alois' head pulsed and throbbed from the headache, his eyes tender and sore. He hadn't gotten any sleep, and he felt as if he may collapse at any moment. 

  _Last night was too eventful._

 After Ciel was taken to the hospital, Claude took Alois to go see him, but after being denied access, they both left and Claude dropped Alois off at home. Alois was thoroughly questioned by the police, and they phoned his parents to inform them of the events that had taken place at the party. Alois' parents rushed home, and that's when it really got rough. His mother screamed at him for at least an hour, then his step father followed suit and continued to yell for another half hour. His parents made him stay up all night and clean up the entire house, and by the time he was finished, it was already time to go to school.

 So Alois had been suffering through his classes all day, and to make matters worse, his mother told him that he would be staying with his real father this weekend, so he needed to pack his bags and head there after school was finished.

_I'm never throwing another party on a Thursday night again._

 When school finally ended, Alois trudged his way to a bus stop and plopped down on a bench. He always hated taking city transportation since you were always guaranteed to meet someone awfully creepy, but considering he no longer had Ciel to chauffeur him around, he didn't have any other choice.

 Alois leaned his head back and he stared up at the blue, cloudless sky. Why couldn't anything work out for him? He took Ciel into his home, hoping that he could assist him in his time of need, but instead he ended up getting Ciel drugged and admitted into a hospital.

 "Claude hasn't even texted me today," Alois whispered to himself. "It seems I can't even get things right with him."

 The sound of the bus pulling up made Alois snap his head forward and he grabbed his bags. He paid the bus fare and made his way to the back of the bus, avoiding eye contact with the various odd passengers.

 Alois had mixed feelings about his father. When he was six, his father walked out on Alois and his mother, leaving the two to fend for themselves. Then, for reasons still unknown to Alois, he came back two years later demanding to have joint custody. At first, Alois' mother refused, but after being confronted by the many scary lawyers that his father hired, she cooperated and agreed that having a father figure in her son's life couldn't cause any harm. So, Alois stayed at his father's home every once in a while, but usually only if it was convenient for his father.

 To this day, Alois still had no idea what his father's profession was. He worked long hours, typically gone by four a.m. and getting home sometimes as late as midnight, and he wore a suit every day. On days like today, Alois' father wasn't home from work yet, so he needed to go to the business complex where his father worked. The building was a tall skyscraper with over fifty floors, his father's floor being on the fourty-sixth. When Alois arrived, the door to his dad's room would usually be protected by a security guard, and he had to introduce himself. He was never allowed inside his father's room, but the security guard would escort him to a small lounge a few doors down, where he was forced to wait until his father came to retrieve him.

 He was definitely suspicious of his job; he even questioned his mother about it, to which she shrugged and said, "I never asked your father because I knew how secretive he was about his job. As long as we were safe and there was food on the table, that's all that mattered."

 Alois shook his head in disapproval. _My mother never was a very bright woman._

 Two separate bus rides later, Alois finally arrived at the complex. He stretched when he got off the heated vehicle, his muscles aching from fatigue. He let his eyes wander up the huge skyscraper that sat in front of him, the warm sun shining off of the reflective paneling. Clouds had drifted their way across the sky, some a dark grey.

  _Maybe it'll rain tonight,_ Alois wondered thoughtfully, and he slung his belongings over his shoulder and headed inside the building.

 As soon as he walked through the doors, the receptionist at the front desk looked up, her normal scowl present.

 "Name?"

 "Trancy, Alois," Alois muttered, adjusting the weight on his shoulders.

 "Elevator's over there," The old woman said, her wrinkled finger pointing to the right.

 "You know who I am, Dolores," Alois stated as he strode over to the elevator doors. "I don't know why you request my name and point out the elevators every time."

 "Company policy," Dolores snapped, returning her attention to the computer in front of her.

 Alois rolled his eyes and entered the open elevator. He set his bags down on the floor and pushed the '46' button, then sighed as he prepared himself for the trip upwards. The atmosphere was completely silent except for the occasional creak of machinery, and Alois resorted to humming to himself quietly to shake away the feelings of loneliness.

 The elevator dinged and came to a halt when it reached the fourty-sixth floor, and Alois promptly picked up his belongings and exited through the silver doors. He padded down the hallway, glancing left and right at every door he passed. The corridor was plain; the carpet was a dark orange and the walls were white. Every door -- there were at least fifty of them on each side -- was made with dark, solid mahogany, and they were all closed. Each door had a number beside it, and Alois counted to himself in his head as he continued to stride pass the offices.

  _453D, 454D, 455D..._

 Alois noted that he was getting closer to his father's office, for a large, muscular man stood in front of one door and one door only, so he could safely assume it was his father's door.

_I wonder why Dad gets special treatment,_ Alois thought. _No one else here gets a guard outside their door._

 Alois approached the office marked _476D_ and the guard furrowed his brows.

 "Private meeting. No one is allowed in."

 "I am Trancy, Alois," Alois introduced, pulling his identification out from his pocket and showing the guard. "I'm here to wait for my father. Usually I'm escorted to the lounge until his meetings are finished."

 "So you're Alois," the man murmured, and he stepped aside, opening the office door.

 Alois' eyes widened. "What are you-"

 "Your father requested that you enter his office upon your arrival."

 Alois' eyes became even wider from the remark. _I've never been into my father's office before._

 Taking a deep breath, Alois entered the dark room, and the man shut the door behind him.

* * *

 

 Claude quietly drummed his fingers on the surface of the large table, his ears blocking out the sound of his colleague's voice. So far, Claude's day had been decent, a mixture of good and bad situations combined. He had failed to kill Ciel. It wasn't a lack of preparation or supplies; he merely ran out of time.

 It was all because of the damned Sebastian Michaelis. He hadn't a clue that Ciel was involved with Michaelis, and imagine his surprise when Sebastian showed up at the diner, acting as Ciel's escort to the Halloween party. Claude was completely blindsided, but he attempted to follow his original plans.

 The plan was a failure from the start. Of course, Michaelis refused to leave Ciel's side unless it was for a very brief moment, preventing Claude from getting to the boy. He had no choice but to knock the man out, and by then, he was running out of time. He rushed to the boy with the drugged drink, and luckily Ciel didn't refuse it. Claude tried to convince Ciel to come with him, but an annoyingly ditzy blonde ran to Ciel's side, demanding that he dance with her. Claude became frustrated, making the two slightly suspicious. Thinking he had enough time, Claude allowed her to take him away, hoping that he would still be concious when she was done with him. Unfortunately, he wasn't, and Alois found Ciel before Claude did. 

_I was so close,_ Claude thought angrily. _If it wasn't for Sebastian and that stupid girl, Ciel would have been finished already._

 "Faustus."

 Claude blinked, and he raised his gaze, noticing that his boss was staring at him. "Yes?"

 "Tell me what I'd like to hear."

 Claude took a nervous breath. He wasn't sure how the man would react once he told him that he had failed. Claude had failed on a simple task before, and his boss had unleashed hell. Killing Ciel had been a huge mission, one that Claude wasn't allowed to fail. Revealing the fact that Sebastian Michaelis was on Ciel's side would surely piss him off even more, and Claude was honestly fearing for his life.

 "Faustus! Must I repeat myself?"

 Claude swallowed and adjusted his glasses. "That won't be necessary."

 The man leaned back in the brown leather chair, his fingers lacing themselves together. "Good. Then when am I expected to attend the funeral?"

 Claude lowered his eyes. "He is not dead yet."

 The many men who sat at the table gasped, and through his peripheral vision, Claude saw the man's lips twitch.

 "What?"

 "He is not dead yet."

 His boss leaned further back in the chair, his knuckles slowly turning white as he clenched his fingers tightly. "I trusted you."

 "I didn't have-"

 "I trusted you to get rid of him. You failed me the first time, even left the gas can at the scene. But I was forgiving, wasn't I? I gave you another chance. I figured that since you spent so many loyal years working yourself up in this company, you deserved some slack. So I gave you some. I was lenient. I told you that if you could ensure his death this time, all would be forgiven. But it wasn't ensured. He's still alive."

 Claude took another nervous swallow as his boss stood up from his chair and began to walk around the oval table, his colleague's backs stiffening as he passed them. He stopped directly behind Claude and placed his hands on both of Claude's shoulders, his grip tight.

 "This company has been in business many years, Mr. Faustus, and we've made a lot of money. And, when we had to, we exterminated the people who were interfering with our growth. I asked you to take a life for the company, Faustus. By failing my request, you are killing the company. Shouldn't that mean that the company gets to kill you?"

 Claude gulped, his mouth going completely dry. His throat felt scratchy and he couldn't bring himself to reply. He felt the man's fingers grasp his shoulders forcefully, and he closed his eyes.

 The sound of a door opening made him reopen them, however, and everyone's attention went to the boy who had walked into the room. Claude's pupils dilated.

  _Alois?_

 The boy had been anxiously glancing around the room at everyone, but at the same instance that Claude noticed it was Alois, Alois noticed him.

 "Claude?" Alois asked, his mouth formed in a tiny 'o'.

 "A-Alois," Claude stuttered, his voice raspy. "What are you doing here?"

 Alois ignored the question and he ran to Claude, embracing the man cheerfully. "Oh, Claude! I had no idea that you worked here!"

 The man behind Claude released his grip and returned to his seat, allowing Claude to gently wrap his arms around Alois. "Yes, I work here."

 "I've missed you!" Alois proclaimed, beaming as he sat down in Claude's lap.

 "You know this man?" The boss questioned, an eyebrow raised.

 "Of course I do! This is Claude! He makes me happier than anyone else ever has!"

 "If I may ask," one of the men spoke. "How did this boy get in here? The doors are guarded, aren't they?"

 "Men," his boss began, "this is Alois Trancy, my son."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is it! What a twist, huh? Nah, not really. You all probably saw it coming.  
> Sorry again for this update being extremely overdue, but I'm going to make it my best effort to ensure it won't happen again. Hope you enjoyed, kitlets! Level 9 Part 2 is coming soon!


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